A Trip To Your Soul
by EllenRosemary
Summary: Elena and Stefan break up, she and Damon go on a trip, they receive some unpleasant visitors and have to save the town ... lol enjoy!
1. Broken Hearts and Taken Souls

**_Hey! This is my first fanfic and I hope you'll like it! I did my best! :P_**

**_I always wanted Damon and Elena together and not Stefan and Elena, so I decided to write my own version of The Vampire Dairies. ;)_**

**_Note: Thoughts from either Damon or Elena are written in Italic._**

**_Sorry if there are any errors in it ;) English is not my first language :P _**

**_Please review! Any comments are welcome ;)_**

1. Broken Hearts and Taken Souls

Elena was sitting in her room writing diary. In the background the radio was playing. The radio presenter announced the next song: "And now ladies and gentleman, 'I'll be waiting' by Lenny Kravitz, for all the broken hearts out there." The song started. _"He broke your heart, he took your soul, ..." _

Elena jumped up and turned the radio off. She didn't want to be reminded at Stefan. She had broken up yesterday because she couldn't stand his lies and secrets anymore. Damon had gone out of Mystic Falls a week ago. He had said he needed something new, something exciting.

Suddenly the radio turned on.

_"As long I'm living I'll be waiting, as long as I'm breathing I'll be there, whenever you call me I'll be waiting, whenever you need me I'll be there, ...", _Lenny Kravitz sang.

Elena got a fright and stared at the radio. Then she walked towards it and quickly turned it off again. The switch must have been turned off wrong. But somehow there was something scary about it. The song also reminded her of Damon. Was it only friendship or more she had with him? Lately she couldn't get him out of her mind. The break of her and Stefan had partly also been because of this. Somehow she kind of missed Damon. His flirty little comments, his good looks, his style, his charm,... . No. She shouldn't think of that. Damon was bad. He didn't care about anyone's feelings and he hurt people just because he … well only because. She didn't love him or something, Elena secured herself, they were only friends and she was worried about him. That was all. He could be doing something … dangerous. He could get hurt or something. When Damon would hear this he would just laugh and say that for him nothing was dangerous and that _he_ would be dangerous for the others.

Damon went out of the bar when he suddenly heard her in his mind. She was desperate. He had to go back to Mystic Falls and find out what had happened. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her or make her feel bad. Damon ran to his hotel suite in some expensive hotel, he didn't know the name exactly anymore, where he packed his back. He ran down to the foyer and checked out. As he was in Georgia, Atlanta, the long journey he was going to make to get to Mystic Falls wasn't that long, he wouldn't need a car, but as he loved cars, specially fast cars, he wanted to get a car. He checked the street and saw a silver Audi R8. Perfect. He walked towards it and was thinking about how he could steal it when he saw the owner stepping out of his car. Even more perfect. Damon smiled gently at him and compelled him the he wanted to give him his car. The man looked strangely at him, but gave Damon the keys. Gentle as he was, Damon thanked the man for his "beautiful car", threw his back on the fellow passenger seat and jumped behind the steering wheel. He started the car, smiled as he the engine roared and drove the car out of the car park. Then he hit the gas.

Elena went to bed early as she was tired. She had been sitting in her room and crying all day. She was desperate, angry, scared and sad at the same time. She missed Stefan, and yet not, she was worried about Damon, though she knew he wouldn't get hurt, she didn't knew what she should say to Jenna about her and Stefan and she had been avoiding her friends since she and Stefan had broken up.


	2. Rise and Shine

2. Rise and Shine

It was night when Damon drove past Elena's house. He decided not to park the car in front of the house, as that could wake her and her sleeping family. So he drove on and parked it a few blocks further on. He ran back and climbed in the tree in front of Elena's window. It was dark but with his supernatural eyes he was able to identify her lying in her bed, sleeping. The look on her face wasn't peaceful, like it had been when he watched her secretly while she slept, it was disturbed, worried. He wanted to squeeze her and ask her what the matter was, but he under pressed that feeling. He looked at his watch. Three more hours till sunset. He jumped out of the tree silently and ran to the woods at the cemetery. He was going to hunt first. No girls this time. He was going to do the Stefan diet this night.

Elena woke up from the sun shining on her face. It looked like a nice day. For every other person it would be a nice day, but not for Elena. She remembered already the complicated life she lived. Elena stood up, took a shower and went downstairs for breakfast. Jenna was sitting at the kitchen table and both Jenna and Elena said good morning. Elena made herself a cup of coffee and joined her aunt at the kitchen table. Jenna asked her whether she was alright, because she looked a bit tired, but Elena lied that she was fine. Then Jenna told her that there was somebody who wanted to see Elena. Elena looked surprised and asked her who it was, as Stefan had given up coming by to try to talk to her and Damon had been out of town. Probably it is Bonnie, she thought, when her aunt said:

"It's Damon. Do you know what he wants from you?".

Elena needed a time before she could say that she had no idea what he was doing here and she quickly went out of the kitchen, when Jenna told her he was in the living room. And there he was. Gorgeous as always. Black leather jacket, probably Armani, jeans and a white tight t-shirt, through which you could see the shape of his muscles. She didn't know how to greet him, so she just hugged him lightly and sat down on the armrest of the sofa. For a while Damon was just watching her very closely. It nearly seemed like he tried to read her mind.

Then he asked: "What's going on? I ... You look ... wrecked."

"Come with me", she whispered and pulled him at his arm towards the stairs.

"No, Elena! I will _not_ go to your bedroom with you!", he said loudly when he spotted Jenna in the kitchen and he smirked.

Elena sighed and pulled him with her. In her bedroom Damon took the freedom of behaving like he was at home. He lay down on her bed and picked the teddy bear up which she had always with her in her bed.

"So are you finally going to tell me what has been going on?", Damon asked while he stood up and walked to her dresser.

"Well, ehm ... I and Stefan ... we ..." Elena was interrupted by Damon who was taking out her underwear.

She looked madly at him, took her bra out of his hand and put it back in the dresser.

"Stefan and I - we broke up", she continued.

Damon turned towards her and watched her with a look on his face like he had won the lottery. But when he saw Elena's face he quickly made a sad look.

"I'm sorry. What happened? If I may ask...?" He hesitated. "But you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Elena sighed. "We... I … he was always lying about something. To keep me save. Or not to make me disturbed. I couldn't stand that anymore. And he still has this picture of Katherine! Oh, Damon! Do you think he has ever been _really_ in love with me? Without thinking of Katherine?"

He could see tears coming up in her eyes.

"I – I don't know. We haven't seen each other for a few decades. I can't tell you that. But _I_ am definitely over her. She sucks. That bitch! If I would meet her now, I would rip her heart out!"

He was getting furious.

"Okay! Calm down, Damon!", Elena laughed through her tears.

"Well, at least you aren't sad anymore!", said Damon with a half-smile. "Elena, he didn't deserve you. You're way too good for him!"

Elena laughed sadly and said:"Thanks Damon. That's really sweet of you...but I don't want to talk about it anymore. I need something new, so that I can forget this here."

Damon smiled. "Well, I know something..."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "And what would that be?", she asked curiously.

"We could go to Los Angeles..." He watched her closely.

"_You_ want to take me to _Los Angeles_?"

"Yep. It's lots of fun there. I've been there before. We could go shopping, … drinking, … dancing, … go to the casino, …."

His last thought he left unspoken, but he smirked at the thought of it. Elena frowned.

"Why are you smirking?", she asked irritated.

"Really? Am I?", he answered quickly while he gladdened his face.

Elena sighed. "Well, but what am I going to tell Jenna and … and everybody else?"

"That you fell in love and that you will move with him to Vegas because you don't want to waste your life in this dumb little town anymore?", Damon smirked.

"Yeah! Wow, such a _fan-tas-tic_ idea! I'll go right now and tell Jenna!", she frowned angrily at him. "Don't make me regret being your friend, Damon!".

"I was only trying to help!", Damon defended himself. "If you don't want to come with me, that's alright. Then I'll go to Los Angeles alone. - I'll leave right now."

Elena looked disturbed. When Damon walked towards the door she said:

"No, Damon, please. Don't go. I want to come with you. I'll find some excuse."

"Great! Pack your backs and say goodbye to your family. I'll pick you up at in a while!", he said while he smiled at her and walked out of the door, down the stairs.

Elena heard him talk to Jenna. Her cellphone beeped.

"_She agreed! -D._"

"_What did you tell her? That we're going to marry or something? :s -E._"

With Damon everything was possible.

"_I gently asked her if I could take you with me to make a little road trip. I think she thinks you have to get out of here, to forget about your parents and Stefan for a while. -D." _

"Elena?"

She heard Jenna coming upstairs.

"I didn't know you wanted to go on a road trip. But don't be afraid. It's fine. I told Damon already it's alright!", she smiled at Elena.

"Oh, Jenna! Thank you so much! I've always wanted to do this!", she lied.

In real this hadn't been her dream, but right now it seemed exciting, freshening, exactly what she needed at the moment.

"Well I won't bother you anymore. You have to pack your backs. Damon will pick you up in half an hour."

"_Half_ an hour?"

_Damn it. How was she going to pack her backs for - she didn't know how long - in half an hour?_

She quickly took her red trolley from under her bed and started putting some clothes in it. T-shirts, tops, jeans, underwear. She took her wallet from her desk and put it in her purse. She was putting high heels and a dress – she didn't know if it was adequate for Vegas – in her trolley, when she heard a car in front of the house. She had to say good bye to everyone now. But first she had to do something. She found Jenna in the living room, watching TV. Jenna turned the volume low when she saw Elena.

"Jenna, I have to ask you not to tell Stefan about our trip, he'll go mad otherwise and follow us, … but at the moment I don't want to see him anymore."

Jenna smiled and nodded at her.

"It's okay. I already told him a while after you broke up that you didn't want to see or talk to him anymore. I know, I should have told you, but …"

"Oh, no, that's … that's alright. Thanks Jenna." Elena hugged her tightly. Then she walked to the door and said: "I have to go now. Otherwise Damon will leave without me."

Jenna nodded. "Be careful, okay? And call me!"

Elena laughed and shut the door. She breathed in deeply. Damon was standing in front of his – new – car. He took Elena's trolley out of her hands and put it in the car. Then he opened the car door for her, waited until she stepped in and closed the door gently. He walked to the driver's side and sat behind the steering wheel. Then they both looked at each other.

"Here we go. Los Angeles, here we come!", Damon said.


	3. Adventure, Las Vegas and Prawns

3. Adventure, Las Vegas and Prawns

"Sooo ... where did you get the car? Did you _steal_ or did you buy it?", Elena asked sceptically.

"That's not important. Don't break your beautiful little head over it.", he smirked.

That said everything. Elena was now sure that he had stolen it. Damon hit the gas and drove the Audi with high speed out of the street.

"Damon! Please! Not that fast. We're in a living area!", said Elena.

"Oh, baby! You're free now! Enjoy your life!", Damon said enthusiastic.

He turned the radio on and put the volume to maximum.

"Damon...", Elena began, but closed her mouth then.

_Damon was right. She should enjoy her life now that she hadn't to think about any problems._

A while they drove without saying anything, until Damon asked her:

"Do you want to drive?"

Elena hesitated. "Eh … no thanks."

"Oh come on! Just do it!", Damon answered.

"No, thanks. Really I shouldn't do that. The car is way to big for me."

"Elena? Pleeease? ... Do it for me!", Damon begged. "I'll help you!", added he smirking.

"I – I ….okay … I'll do it."

Elena sighed. _Damn it. He always won. When he wanted something from her she couldn't say no most of the time, specially when he started begging._

Damon parked at some restaurant and stepped out of the car. He waited until Elena had taken place on the driver's seat until he walked to the other side of the car to sit on the fellow passenger seat. Elena put her safety belt on and looked desperately at Damon. Damon laughed and started the engine, which started to howl.

"Damon … this really isn't a very good idea. I even don't know where the car begins and where it ends!", Elena said and looked at him with an afraid look on her face.

"Oh come on. I'll get you through it. So put your hands on the wheel...", Damon took Elena's hands.

They were smooth and warm. He placed her hands on the wheel and left his hands on top of hers.

"Now hit the gas, young lady!", Damon said enthusiastic.

Elena waited until Damon took his hands off hers - although it had felt nice - then she touched the gas pedal with her foot and pressed lightly. The car started rolling and she carefully drove away from the restaurant. She laughed and said: "I made it!", when suddenly the car on the opposite side of the street was trying to overtake the car in front of it and came dangerously far on their side of the street. As his reaction was faster, Damon turned the wheel extremely to the left, which caused that Elena fell into Damon's arms. He held her tight and told her to push the brake. Elena struggled, but Damon didn't want to let go off her.

"Damon! Let me go!", she said angrily.

"I saved you from banging your head to the dashboard! Shouldn't you be a little bit more thankful? Are you alright?", Damon excused himself.

"I am fine! Now let go off me, Damon!"

He loosened his arms and she could sit back in her seat.

"I think it's better if I drive.", Damon said and already stood at her side of the car to let her out.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea!", Elena told him angrily. "But as usual you didn't listen to me!"

"Oh puppy! Come on! We were having fun! And nothing happened, you aren't hurt.", Damon contradicted.

On the rest of the journey Elena didn't say anything and looked mad. Damon only smirked as he watched her. When they arrived in Los Angeles Elena's mood changed immediately. She was hanging in front of the window and pointed at everything she saw, which made Damon laugh.

"You're like a little child!", he said laughing.

"Pfff! That this isn't exciting for you anymore because you've already been here doesn't mean that it isn't exciting for _me_ anymore!"

Damon pointed at some building with palms in front of it and limousines driving by.

"That's going to be our home for the next week … or weeks ..."

He parked the Audi R8 in front of the entrance, which caused some strange looks, and stepped out of the car. Immediately a piccolo ran towards Damon to ask if he could drive the car to the parking. Damon ignored him and he only threw the keys into the piccolo's hands, took Elena's arms and walked into the hotel. Elena didn't know where to look. She just saw the six stars on the wall of the hotel before they went inside. Damon walked to the check-in.

"Under the name Salvatore.", he said.

"Ah, Mr and Mrs Salvatore. Welcome to Los Angeles. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here.", said the man and handled Damon the keys.

"Mrs Salvatore? Damon! What the hell?", Elena whispered.

Damon was smirking and didn't answer her. He walked to the lift and pressed the button for the fifth floor. Elena just had enough time to rush into the lift before the doors closed.

"By the way, when did you reserve this room?"

"Before I picked you up at your house this morning. Do you want to sleep at the left or the right side of the bed? So that we won't get an fight on that.", Damon asked her.

"_What?_ Don't tell me there's only _one_ bed, Damon!", Elena frowned.

"Yep. I'm sorry. There was only one room left … I had to take it!", Damon told her.

The lift doors opened and they went out.

"Room 666", Damon murmured and opened the door and held it open for her.

When Elena explored the room, she found a door to the bathroom with a huge shower in it and a door to the bedroom with a huge king size bed with thick, smooth, white pillows, a mini bar, a bottle of Champagne and two glasses on top of it. Then she looked at the windows. They went over one whole wall and reached from the floor to the roof. And the view was wonderful. The sun was going down, which colored the skyline of Los Angeles red, orange and pink. Damon watched her amused.

"Well, it's seven o'clock. Do you want to eat something?"

"I'm starving! Please!", Elena said and already walked to the door.

"Don't you want to put on something more chic than this?", Damon asked her.

"I don't have anything!", Elena said while she thought at her dress she had packed – it wasn't chic enough for such a noble hotel.

"Well then we'll go like this!", Damon said cheerfully and they went down to the dining room.

The staff was very kind and read all wishes from their lips. They recommended Elena fresh prawns, but she refused politely - she could see the aquarium with prawns behind the waiter – and took some fresh salad instead. Damon told the man he wasn't very hungry and that he would only take a light soup. When the wine Damon had ordered was brought, he lifted his glass and clinked it with Elena's glass.

"On a nice time in Los Angeles! We're going to have fun, Elena!"

After dinner, Elena told Damon she was tired and wanted to go to bed. She tried to stand up, but Damon was already at her side, helping her, as he always did. He gave her his arm and led her to the lift. When they were back in their room, Elena let herself fall on the bed and started singing. Damon watched her worried. She had probably drunken too much the wine at dinner.

"Sooo … Damon … are you gonna sleep on the couch, 'cause I won't sleep in the same bed as _you_, you know …", she giggled.

Damon watched her closely. When he wanted to answer he that he definitely wouldn't sleep on the couch, he saw that she had already fallen asleep.


	4. Shop Til You Drop

4. Shop Til You Drop

Elena woke up because of Damon singing in the shower. She looked around and remembered that she was in some six star noble hotel suite, when she suddenly noticed that she was wearing shorts and a top. She couldn't remember that she changed her clothes before she fell asleep last night.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

Damon walked in with only a towel around his waist.

"Oh, by the way, if you didn't notice yet, I put you into your pajamas – well in fact I couldn't find it so … I put you in this here. Oh, and I found this here..."

He smirked and reached at her trolley. "You could wear it for me tonight …"

Damon smirked even more while he held up her naughty underwear.

"Damon! How could you!" Elena jumped out of bed to grab it out of his hands but he jumped away.

"Pleeease, Elena?"

"No, Damon! Give it back! Right now!", Elena shouted.

Damon looked sad at her when she pulled it out of his hands and put it back into her trolley. Elena noticed that she had a headache and lay back on the bed. Damon disappeared in the bathroom to put his clothes on. When he came out again, he asked Elena what she would like to do today.

"Nothing. My headache is killing me!", she said freakishly.

Damon took the phone which was standing on the nightstand beside the huge bed. Elena listened to the conversation Damon held with the guy at the check-in.

"Good morning."

Silence.

"Yes, I slept very well, thanks. I wanted to ask whether you have some headache pills for my lovely lady."

Elena growled when she heard that, but Damon ignored her.

"Thank you very much. Bye."

"Such a kind guy.", he said. "He'll send someone up with pills.", Damon added. "And after breakfast we will go shopping. You need some nice dresses for dinner.", Damon said when there was a knock on the door.

The piccolo handed Damon the package with pills and disappeared after Damon pressed him something into his hand.

"Here." Damon gave her a glass with water and a pill.

"Thanks.", Elena said gratefully and quickly swallowed the pill. She stood up and went into the bathroom to prepare herself for the day.

After breakfast they went directly into the city. Elena couldn't believe her eyes. There were stores of every brand she could think of and many she didn't even know. Damon laughed at her naivety.

"I choose the shop, you choose the dress, okay?", Damon said, smiling.

Elena nodded and Damon already pulled her into some store.

"Damon! Do you know how expensive everything here is?", Elena asked shocked when she saw price cards with huge numbers on it.

Damon smirked. "I know. Just pick some nice dresses, okay?" He walked towards the shop assistant.

"We need some dinner and cocktail dresses for this lovely young lady here."

"Sure. If you want to come with me, please."

The shop assistant led them to a rack of beautiful dresses.

"We have a nice black and white dress. Do you want to try it on, Ma'am?", the man asked her.

"No, black makes me look so pale. Do you have something more colorful?", Elena asked the shop assistant.

"Sure."

The man pulled another dress off the rack and gave it to Elena. It was a long blue silk dress.

"I think you should take it", Damon said. "I like it. I'm sure it will look fantastic on you!" He smirked.

Elena went to the changing room. Damon wanted to go along with her, but she stopped him and left him behind with the shop assistant. After a few minutes Damon said he wanted to see how it looked on her and pulled the curtain aside, which caused an angry reaction from Elena.

"Damon! Couldn't you wait until I would have come out?"

"Well, yes I _could_ have... but I was bored – this shop assistant wanted to talk about some new trends, I even don't know anymore what it was - and I thought maybe you could use some help …... by the way, the dress suits you _fantastic_! I knew it!", he said proudly.

_He should really stop making these flirty little comments, or … well, she didn't know what was going to happen otherwise – either she would end up kissing him or she would slap him – but both wouldn't stop Damon making comments about her._

She pushed Damon out of the changing cabin and put the dress of. Damon had already chosen some other dresses - with help of the boring shop assistant – and handed them to Elena over the curtain. All dresses were really beautiful and Elena didn't even _dare_ looking at the prices. After she had tried on all dresses and Damon had told her which ones he liked and which he found didn't suit Elena, she went with the blue silk dress, a red cocktail dress with dark red flowers and a brown, long dress, which made her beautiful brown eyes stand out, to the counter. Damon pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

"Could you please write the amount from my bank account?" He handed the man his Gold Master Card.

"Damon, you really don't have to do this!", Elena contradicted.

"Oh come on, Elena! It's nothing! And it's a pleasure for my eyes to watch you wearing something _I_ gave you!", Damon smirked.

_Alright. When he wanted to spend a few hundred bucks on some dresses, that was fine. It was his money._

Elena took the bags with her new dresses, thanked the man and walked out of the store.

"Whoa! Where are you going so fast?", Damon ran after her, "We have to buy some more things!"

Elena sighed. "And what would that be?"

"Well … I think you need something for underneath it …", he said innocently.

_This guy was unbelievable! He just couldn't stop flirting and making flirty comments! _

"OK! Damon, you can go buy that underwear, but _you_ can wear it yourself then!"

"I'm sure it will suit you way better, Elena!", Damon laughed and pulled her with him to the next store – a lingerie shop.

Elena struggled, but Damon didn't let her go. When the door closed behind them, he let her go.

"Don't run away, sweet little Missy!"

He looked around, got something in sight which he liked and took it out of the rack. It was a naughty set comprising of a sexy bra and a slip with stockings and suspenders.

"What do you think of this?", Damon said while he held it in front of him.

On a woman it would have looked quite sexy, but on Damon it only looked extremely ridiculous. Elena laughed and shook her head.

"Damon, I don't want to have it!" "Alright. Elena, could you wait outside please?", Damon asked sulkily.

"Fine! Damon, I won't wear it! Doesn't matter what it is! You already bought some really expensive dresses for me, that was enough. I don't want you to spend your whole capital on me, you understand me?", Elena told Damon angrily.

"Of course not. Don't bother about that. Just wait outside, ok?", Damon told her smiling.

Elena sighed. If Damon wanted something it was impossible to talk it out of him, so she went outside and waited in front of the shop. After a while Damon came out with a little bag in his hand.

"What is it? Show it to me, then you can bring it back at least if I don't like it.", Elena attacked him immediately.

"Shut you beautiful mouth, puppy! _I_ like it. That's enough! And I bet you will like it too...", Damon winked at Elena.

"Where are we going now?", Elena asked him curiously.

"Hmm … what about a coffee? We could sit at that little terrace there and drink a Latte Macchiato …", Damon said cheerfully.

"That sounds nice!", Elena answered smiling. "But _I_ will pay this time!"

"Ok, if you insist on it!", Damon smiled back.


	5. An Unpleasant Visitor

**Ok it's gonna be a lil bit more captivate now, no more happy scenes in lingerie shops ;) but it'll be still quite flirty! ;)**

5. An Unpleasant Visitor

After they had drunken their coffee, Damon and Elena continued their shopping tour. They walked along a souvenir stand, where Elena bought some things for her family and friends, they took some photos of them two in front of the Hollywood Boulevard where Damon immediately took his chance to embrace Elena and pull her close to him, but fortunately it couldn't destroy Elena's good mood. After a tasteful dinner at a cozy small restaurant, they went back to the hotel.

"You can go in already. I have to do something.", Damon told Elena and pushed her to the entrance.

"What? Damon, where are you going?", Elena asked irritated. "Is there something I should know?", she shouted at Damon who already had gone around the corner.

She sighed and walked to the check-in. _Damon could take care of himself. He didn't need her help and didn't want it either. She was going to take a hot shower first and then she would have a look around in the hotel, as she didn't have had time for it because Damon always wanted to do something. _She asked the keys and walked upstairs. After the second floor she decided to take the lift. She hadn't done much sports lately and she was in poor shape. On the fifth floor she stepped out of the lift and walked to her room. Just as she wanted to put the key in the lock, she heard a crashing sound coming from inside, like glass breaking. Elena got a fright and stepped back. She quickly took her cell phone and dialed Damon's number.

"Yesss, baby? What is it? Do you need my help with something...?"

She could _hear _him smirk.

"Not funny, Damon. There's someone in our room.", Elena whispered.

"Couldn't it be a maid or so?", Damon asked.

"At three pm? Do you want to make a sucker out of me?", Elena answered angrily.

"Course not. I was only going through all opportunities, ok? Elena, stay where you are or … whatever, but _DON'T_ go inside! Understand me?", Damon asked worried.

"Sure.", Elena lied and cut off the connection.

She walked towards the door and turned the key she had left in the lock carefully not to make any sound and opened the door. And she immediately was attacked by something that had been waiting behind the door. It was squeezing her neck with it's cold hands while it pulled her to the window. Elena let made herself heavy and let herself fall down, in the hope her attacker couldn't hold her. But she didn't even came to fall as he held her tight. Elena tried to turn around to look at him, but she could only see his brown wavy hair. _Wait. Brown wavy hair? Would it be … no, it couldn't be... but though..._

"Stefan?", Elena asked incredulously. _But he would never hurt her, he had loved her. _"Stefan? What the hell? Let go off me! What is wrong with you?", Elena asked confused.

Somebody answered, but it wasn't Stefan.

"Yes, what the hell is going on with you, Stefan?", Damon walked into the room.

"She betrayed me! She lied to me! She told me she loved me, but in real she was in love with _YOU_ all the time!", Stefan looked furiously at Damon and Elena could feel him shake with rage.

"Stefan, don't be a fool! You love her, so let her go now. You're hurting her!", Damon sounded desperate.

"I DON'T LOVE HER_!_ _Katherine_ is the only one I love! And she was right about you. You're in love with her and you wanted to take her away from me from the beginning!", Stefan was getting more and more furious and squeezed even more, which made Elena gasp for breath, as he had one arm around her chest now.

This caused a worried reaction of Damon. "Stefan, … - _please_ - …, she can't breathe anymore! You're suffocating her!"

"Stefan … I'm sorry if I hurt you're feelings, but I really _was_ in love with you." Elena breathed heavily.

"You're lying!" Stefan was getting out of control now.

Then Elena passed out. Stefan let her fall on the ground which made Damon make a few steps forward but he stopped when he saw Stefan's face.

"Stefan … Don't do this … What did Katherine do to you? Come on, this isn't you at all!", he frowned. "Stefan, you can still walk away … but when you're going to hurt Elena … I will rip your heart out. I promise." Damon watched him angrily. "And that little bitch Katherine isn't going to survive me when I'll meet her!"

Damon shouldn't have said that, because Stefan growled and pounced on him. "Don't call her a bitch!"

Damon was thrown to the ground by the strength of Stefan's attack, but he recovered fast and jumped at Stefan's throat. When Elena woke up from her unconsciousness, she heard growls and saw the two brothers struggle. But suddenly there was a third person who jumped Damon and bit him deep in his throat.

It was like Elena saw herself. She screamed and took a big glass splinter which was lying beside her. She cut her hand at the sharp sides, but she ignored the pain and ran to her doppelganger and stabbed the piece of glass into where she supposed Katherine's heart. Katherine screamed and turned around to look at the one who had did this to her.

_My God, she just looks like me. The only difference is the psychopathic look on her face, _Elena thought.

Katherine pulled the glass out of her chest and threw it to the ground.

_Ok. This was it. She was going to die. Katherine was going to rip her heart out or something._

But Katherine fell when something hit her with such a force that Elena could hear the marble under them crack. Damon had shaken off Stefan and was now lying on top of Katherine stabbing the bloody glass splinter into her heart again and again. Elena threw herself on Damon.

"Damon! She's dead! Stop it!"

When she turned around to look at Stefan, he was gone.

"Damon! Stefan is gone!", Elena informed him worried.

"Well, then we don't have to be worried about him now.", Damon answered sarcastic. "Are you alright?"

Elena nodded.

"You're bleeding!", he noticed shocked.

"The same I can say about you." Then Elena gasped. "Your arm! It's broken!"

Damon's left arm hung in a strange angle.

"I know. You have to do something for me, ok?"

Elena nodded. "I'll do everything when it will help you."

"You have to pull my arm so the bone goes back into the right position. Do you think you can do that?"

Elena went pale. "I – I … I'll try."

"Ok. Take it here and pull strongly when I say it.", Damon made a face when she took his arm.

"Sorry..."

"It's ok. Now!"

Elena took that as a sign and pulled. Damon pressed his teeth together and growled loudly.

Elena let go of Damon's arm. "Oh my God! Are you ok?"

"I think so. It doesn't hurt any longer … so yes?", he smiled, so Elena assumed that he was alright.

"So you would do everything for me if it helps me?", he asked seriously.

"Yes, if I can do anything for you I will be glad to help you, Damon."

"Well, I think a kiss would help really well right now.", Damon smirked.

Elena rolled her eyes and hit his arm hard.

"Ouch! That was my broken arm!", Damon moaned.

"Your arm isn't broken anymore! I know it's already healed!". Elena said angrily.

"Don't be so ungrateful! I saved your life!", Damon answered sulky.

"I know and I am very thankful for that, but _I_ saved _your_ life too!", Elena said with triumph.

"Alright. - But I saved your life _twice_ today! So you owe me something!", Damon smirked again.

_She was going to slap him in the face sometime. - Unbelievable! He was so cheeky and unbearable and yet so gorgeous!_

"We have to do something about this mess here. Elena, could you – no - damn it. How the hell are we going to get her out of here? I mean, I can't just walk through the hotel with a dead vampire hanging over my shoulder!", Damon remarked.

"Damon! Look!". Elena was standing at the window pointing down.

Damon joined her and watched down. A cleaning lady was pushing a cleaning cart with big garbage bags to the garbage skip.

"Perfect! I'll get some of those bags and that woman. - Elena, wait here and don't open the door for anyone!", Damon warned her and ran out of the room.

After a few minutes Damon returned with the cleaning lady with her cleaning cart and some black garbage bags.

"Elena, you have to help me with Katherine's body."

He and Elena put the corpse into the bag and tied it. Then Damon lifted Katherine and threw her into the cleaning cart. The cleaning lady was standing beside it with a mat look on her face and looked at them absently.

Damon took her by the shoulder and talked at her. The woman nodded and pushed her cleaning cart towards the door and disappeared into the lift.

"Ok. Elena, I know you're in a shock, but this is very important, so listen to me carefully. I am going to tell the man at the check-in a part of the truth, ok? We came back, you went in on your own because I had sent you on ahead, when you entered the room there was some guy searching our stuff, he got a fright when he saw you, pushed you against a table where you cut your hand and he ran out of the room, then I came in and found you. Ok?"

Elena nodded with a heavy head. Damon packed their bags and pulled Elena out of the room, into the lift. At the check-in, Elena watched Damon talk - with a shocked look on his face and his hands making dramatic moves - to the man. He told him exactly what he had told Elena, he only called her "my wife" all the time. The man excused himself for the "terrible happenings" and tried to prevent Damon from checking out, but Damon ignored the man, turned around and pulled Elena to the exit.

**I know, this chapter was really strange, but I didn't know how to express my thoughts so it's quite a bit of mess... sorry. Next chapter will be better I hope ;)**

**Review please!**


	6. Reunion With Obstacles

**Sorry for language or grammar errors, but I tried to avoid them ;)**

**review please :P any tips or advices are welcome**

**I hope you like it, although it isn't completely up to _my_ expectations :P I know the title is strange :P**

6. Reunion With Obstacles

"Damon, we have to go back to Mystic Falls! I have to know whether Jenna and Jeremy and – and Bonnie and Matt … whether they are ok! What if Katherine has done something to them?", Elena asked Damon hysterically, while she took her phone out of her pocket.

"Elena, calm down. Look at me!" Damon took Elena's chin in his hands and turned her head towards him. Her eyes were standing anxious.

"Everything is going to be alright, ok? We're going right now, but you have to calm down, this doesn't bring us anywhere.", Damon told her.

Elena nodded – and fell into unconsciousness. Damon caught her in his arms and carried her to the Audi R8. He placed her carefully onto the passenger seat and sat down behind the wheel.

"How do you feel?"

That was the first thing Elena heard when she woke up. She opened her eyes and had to blink her eyes against the strong sunlight. She tried to sit up and groaned.

"My chest … and my throat … it hurts.", Elena sat back into her seat.

"You have a huge bruise where Stefan squeezed your chest and your throat …" Damon looked tormented. "Oh and I bandaged the cut in your hand.", Damon informed her.

"How long did I sleep?", Elena asked surprised as she looked out of the window. "By the way, _where are we_?"

"One day, give or take - and we've just left Memphis.", Damon answered.

"Shit! I have to call Jenna!", Elena said worried, searching for her phone.

"I already did. She didn't pick up the phone, so I decided to call Alaric to inform him about Stefan, you know … and he told me that Jenna and Jeremy are with him and there hasn't been a sign of Stefan yet.", Damon informed her. "But …" Damon hesitated. "Someone has been attacked …"

"Who?", Elena asked. "Who is it, Damon? Tell me!", she added when Damon refused to say anything.

"Elena … well, Caroline …"

"Is she alright?", Elena interrupted him.

"… was attacked and …. Sheriff Forbes died when she tried to rescue her daughter. Caroline has been acting strangely since then, Alaric told me."

Elena gasped. "Oh my God, that's horrible … Do they know who did it?", Elena asked worried.

"They don't know and Caroline doesn't know anything about the attack anymore. At least that's what she says.", Damon answered.

"And when did it happen?"

"Very early this morning. So whoever did it, Katherine definitely didn't. But Stefan … I don't know … he was quite strong … when he attacked me in the hotel. He could have fed on a few – humans – then he would be fast enough to reach Mystic Falls before we do …", Damon said sceptically.

They drove on a while without talking as both were lost in thought, until Elena asked: "Where were you going when you said I could go inside already back at the hotel?"

"That's none of your business."

Silence.

"If I wouldn't have let you go inside alone – then …" Damon sounded angrily.

_Damn it. Was he blaming himself for what had happened?_

"Damon, … it wasn't your fault … _You_ even _rescued_ me!", Elena tried to talk Damon out of his guilt.

"I should have noticed that there was a vampire nearby …" Damon talked to himself.

"We were having fun and it was totally unlikely that something like this was going to happen … so you let down your guards … Damon, please don't blame yourself for what happened. You should be angry with me because I entered the room … though you had told me not to …", Elena said in a low voice.

"Elena – stop it. It _is_ my fault and you could have _died_! And – yes – you shouldn't have entered the room - but he still would have known that you were there … and otherwise you would have run into - Katherine …".

Damon looked at her with a sad look in his eyes, which made Elena wanting to wrap her arms around him and comfort him. But Damon turned away from her and looked out of the window.

Damon turned off the car. They were parked in front of Alaric's house.

"You stay in the car, I check whether it's save for you to get out.", Damon went out of the car. "And … lock the doors!", he said threatening.

He closed the door behind him and waited until Elena had locked the doors of the car. Then he disappeared between the bushes beside the house. He gave her a fright when he suddenly appeared at the car window. She unlocked the door and got out.

"Everything's fine. No Stefan in sight." Damon led her to the front door and rang Alaric's bell. Already after a few seconds Elena's history teacher opened the door.

"Come in."

"Thank you, Mr Saltzman." Elena was walking into the house when Jenna ran into her and nearly knocked her down in her try to embrace her tightly.

"Thank God, Elena, you're ok! I was so worried about you! Caroline has been attacked and - and if I would have known that he there is a – _vampire_..." Jenna whispered the last word while she pointed at Damon. This caused a smirk from Damon.

_Wait. She knew about vampires?_

Elena turned to Alaric. "Did you tell her?", she asked reproachfully.

"I had to. Otherwise she wouldn't have come with me. And … she has a right to know, Elena.", Alaric defended himself.

"I would have told her … sometime or other, but I would have.", Elena said regretfully.

Damon interrupted. "I need to know whether you've ever invited Stefan into the house, because _if _you did, we can't stay here …"

"No, I didn't. , Alaric said. "Or wait – I did. At the get-to-know-each-other-better-party I gave at the beginning of the year."

"Damn it!", Damon slammed the door shut. "Elena, do you know if there is a house in which Stefan hasn't been invited in?"

"Well, as far as I know … he hasn't been at Tyler's … at least not with me.", Elena told him.

"Perfect! Come on!", Damon began to pull Elena back to the door.

"Damon, wait! I didn't even come to see Jeremy! And he and Jenna will come with us." Elena pulled her am out of Damon's hand.

"They will be fine at Alaric's.", Damon contradicted while Elena went into the living room.

"Jer? Where are you?"

Suddenly Damon grabbed her and pulled her with him.

"Stefan is somewhere in the house", he whispered.

"Damon!", Mr Saltzman whispered. He threw Damon a injection with dark contents and pressed Elena one in the hand. The last injection he kept with him.

"Girls, you stay here. Damon, look for your brother. I'll go for Jeremy.", Alaric whispered.

Everybody nodded, even Damon, who – normally – wouldn't let somebody tell him what he had to do.

Alaric was walking up the stairs when Jeremy appeared at the top.

"Forget it! I'm not gonna talk to her -"

Alaric interrupted him. "Shh! Stefan is somewhere in the -"

But then something jumped onto him and rolled down the stairs with him. Alaric tried to stab the injection into Stefan's chest, but Stefan hit it out of his hand and it rolled out of Alaric's reach. Jeremy couldn't think of anything to do and was just staring at the struggling couple until he heard his name.

Alaric was shouting at him. "Jeremy! Take the injection and inject it into Stefan! Now!"

Jeremy ran downstairs to get the injection. But Stefan let go off Alaric and grabbed Jeremy instead.

"Don't move or I'll break his neck!", Stefan said. "I'm serious!", he warned threatening while Alaric moved a few inches towards the injection.

"Elena! Show yourself if you want Jeremy to walk out of this house alive!", Stefan shouted.

Elena appeared around the corner.

"Oh, and Damon!", he shouted, "I know you're here! Don't you want to save sweet Elena's little brother?", he laughed psychopathic.

"What do you want, Stefan?", Alaric asked.

"I want her!" Stefan pointed to Elena. "I want her so that I can take revenge on Damon for killing Katherine!"

"Why do you want Elena for that?", Jenna asked, walking towards them.

"Because he loves her … like I loved Katherine. But Katherine's dead now – because of _him_!" Stefan got angry and looked around for Damon. "Show yourself! Don't you want to see how I'm going to rip her heart out after I sucked all the blood out of her body?", he asked.

"Over my dead body!" Damon appeared at the top of the stairs with a furious look on his face.

**CLIFFHANGER! oh no what's gonna happen next? Is stefan going to die? Is damon going to die? Or both? Or maybe Elena? :P**

**you'll have to wait a lil while til I wrote the next chapter ;)**


	7. Rivals From Love

7. Rivals From Love

"_What do you want, Stefan?", Alaric asked._

"_I want her!" Stefan pointed to Elena. "I want her so that I can take revenge on Damon for killing Katherine!"_

"_Why do you want Elena for that?", Jenna asked, walking towards them._

"_Because he loves her … like I loved Katherine. But Katherine's dead now – because of him!" Stefan got angry and looked around for Damon. "Show yourself! Don't you want to see how I'm going to rip her heart out after I sucked all the blood out of her body?", he asked._

"_Over my dead body!" Damon appeared at the top of the stairs with a furious look on his face._

"There he is! My lovely brother!" Stefan hit Jeremy in his lower back and neck and let him fall to the ground, which caused an worried reaction of Jenna.

"He's only unconscious.", Damon informed them.

Stefan did a move into Elena's direction, but even before he had reached her, Damon jumped in high speed in front of Elena and pushed her backwards.

"As I already told you – _over my dead body!_ And before I'll break all your bones!", he growled.

Stefan laughed. "I am not on my squirrel diet anymore, Damon! So maybe I'm not as easily to overpower as you think."

"I know, little brother. But I've always been stronger than you!", Damon said and pounced on Stefan.

"Damon!", Elena screamed. "No!"

Both Damon and Stefan were lying on the ground and growling, trying to snap each other's neck. Elena tried to get to them, but Alaric grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Elena! Don't!"

Alaric pulled her towards the front door. "We have to get away or we all will be killed, Elena!"

"Let me go!" Elena struggled.

When Alaric watched over his shoulder to Jenna and Jeremy Elena took her chance and quickly pulled her arm out of his hand, bent to pick up the injection she had dropped when Stefan endangered to break Jeremy's neck and tried to reach Stefan to stab the injection into his back. Damon saw her approaching.

"Elena, back off! He'll hurt you!", he said between two breathes.

But Elena didn't listen to him and tried to inject Stefan the vervain in his back. Stefan made a quick move and hit her to the ground. Elena ignored the pain and on her hands and knees she crawled towards the fighting Salvatore brothers and stabbed the vervain injection into Stefan's leg. Stefan made a choking sound and convulsing he fell onto the ground. Damon groaned and fell to the ground too. He was exhausted from the fight with Stefan, who had been way stronger than he had thought.

"Are you ok?", Elena asked Damon worried.

"As long as my heart isn't staked I'm fine.", Damon said sarcastic and tried to smirk at Elena, but he failed and pain rushed over his face.

Elena watched him worried. "Are you sure?"

"I'll get over it, Elena. I'm not that fragile!", Damon told her, but didn't try to laugh anymore.

"Ok guys, we have to lock him there up", Alaric said while he pointed at Stefan, "Cause I don't want to be here when he wakes up!"

"We can lock him up in my cellar.", Damon said while he tried to sit up.

"Damon, you're too weak. You need blood!", Elena rolled up her sleeve and held her wrist in front of Damon.

"No, Elena! You're _not_ going to give him your blood!", Jenna stood up with an angry look on her face and pulled Elena's arm away.

"Jenna, this is my own decision and if I want _him_ to drink _my_ blood, you ain't got anything to say about it! You're not my mother, Jenna!"

Jenna looked like somebody had hit her in the face.

"Elena, … -"

"She's right, Elena.", Damon sounded exhausted, "You shouldn't do this."

"I already told you that I _want_ you to drink my blood! You're very near to a collapse!", Elena contradicted.

"No, Elena. First: I am not going to collapse. Have you ever seen me collapse? I've been in worse shape! And -"

"Damon! You don't have to play the hero!"

"… second: I'm going to be ok. And third: when do _I_ play the hero?" - he said innocently. Elena rolled her eyes.

"... And fourth: We don't have time for this!", Damon said as he looked at Stefan, who was already moving again, but Alaric stabbed another injection with vervain into him and he fell back on the ground.

"Alaric, could you help me up?", Damon asked him.

Mr Saltzman eyed Damon suspiciously, but decided to help him. He placed his arm under Damon's shoulder and pulled him up. Elena gasped. Only now she could see that Damon was bleeding out of his neck. Alaric helped Damon to the sofa and then went back to tie Stefan's hands and feet.

"Am I the only one who still is capable here in this house or what?", Alaric reproached them.

They all looked around embarrassed.

"Sorry! Of course not.", Jenna smiled at him, "Can I help you with something?"

_Oh my Gosh! Was she flirting with him? Unbelievable! It must be because of the shock she was in!_

"Yeah, well, you could try to wake Jeremy up and get him into my car – it's in the garage -", he handed her the keys, "- Elena, help Damon, then I'll try to get Stefan into the car.", he said and watched Stefan desperately at this thought. Everybody nodded and set to work. Elena carefully placed her arm around Damon's chest and tried not to groan when Damon pulled himself up at Elena. Jenna had got a glass with water from the kitchen which she now threw into Jeremy's face. Jeremy gasped and opened his eyes.

"What happened?"

"Shh, everything's fine." Jenna pulled him up and led him to the door.

Elena watched her history teacher injecting Stefan more vervain.

"Do you need help, Mr Saltzman?" - she still couldn't call him Alaric – but maybe she should get used to calling him by his first name, as Jenna seemed to be quite interested in him …

"Well, ehm, yes, in fact I do need help. He's to heavy for me alone … could you …" Alaric pointed at Stefan's feet.

"Sure – Damon, just wait a moment, ok?", Elena asked Damon.

"It's ok. I can walk to the car by myself.", Damon told her and already started to limp towards the door.

Elena watched him concerned.

"Ok then. Let's get him also to the car!", Alaric pulled her back to attention.

Elena nodded and took Stefan's tied feet. Alaric took Stefan under his shoulders and they lifted him form the ground. They had to make an effort to get Stefan to Alaric's car, where they placed him on the back seat.

"Jenna, you drive, ok?", Alaric asked her and seated beside Stefan's unconscious body.

Jenna only nodded and sat down behind the steering wheel. Damon and Elena sat down on the back seat – Jeremy was sitting on the passenger seat as he had refused to sit next to Elena on the back seat – but because they were six persons and Alaric's car had only five seats, Elena had to sit half on Damon's lap, who didn't seem to have a problem with that and even seemed to be _very _healthy suddenly. Elena ignored Damon's try to pull her fully on his lap and only rolled her eyes. She had more important things to think about right now.

_Why didn't Jeremy want to talk to her anymore? She hadn't done anything to him. Though she should have told him about vampires …_

"Jer, please, I'm sorry, ok?", she tried.

He didn't even turn around to look at her.

"Elena – I don't want to talk to you! To any of you! You lied to me, you betrayed me! - I know what happened that night – when Vicky died – I remember everything!"

_Oh shit. So _that_ was the matter. Damn it. How the hell was she going to get this fixed?_

Elena was desperate.

_Everything had gone wrong. Stefan was a monster, Damon was near to a collapse, though he didn't want to admit it, Jeremy hated her, Jenna was mad at her and Mr Saltzman – Alaric – _she corrected herself_ – well, he was the only one who wasn't mad or angry at her - as far as she knew. And Caroline maybe was a vampire now, too._

_**Review please! Any comments are welcome!**_


	8. Secret Lovers

8. Secret Lovers

When they arrived at Damon's Alaric jumped out of the car and started to pull Stefan from the back seat. Jenna immediately came to help him while she smiled flirtatiously at him. Elena climbed over Damon, who was looking really pale by now. She had ripped of a piece of her blouse and had pressed it to the wound in his neck, but it still was bleeding. He had lost too much blood to be able to heal by himself.

"Damon? You really need some blood now …", Elena said worried.

"Just bring me into the kitchen, ok?", Damon asked with a weak voice.

"Whatever you want. My offer is still valid …"

_How would her blood taste? He was sure it would be sweet, probably the sweetest blood he had ever tasted … _

He saw the veins in her neck pulse and -

"No, Elena. Just bring me into the house.", Damon resisted the desire to taste her blood.

Elena sighed. "Alright."

She helped him out of the car and carefully led him into the kitchen. Damon let go off Elena, limped to the fridge and pulled it open. He took some bags with blood out of it and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Maybe you want to leave the room?", Damon suggested. He wanted to save her the sight of him sucking blood.

Elena hesitated, but then she nodded.

"... I wanted to check on Jeremy anyway...", Elena said and after she had looked at him once more, she left the room.

"Jer?"

Elena walked out of the house to check if he was still in the car. Jeremy was leaning against the car, his arms demonstratively crossed in front of his chest.

"Jeremy, please just listen to me ok?"

Elena tried to get closer to him, but he walked away.

"You won't give up on me, will you?", he laughed sarcastic. "How often do I have to repeat that _I don't want to talk to you_?", he shouted at her.

"Jeremy, let me explain ok?", Elena asked desperately.

"There _is_ nothing to explain! Your - what is he? Your new boyfriend? - killed turned Vicky and then they had to kill her!", he shouted furiously. "And then you made Damon _erase my memories_! So that I would forget Vicky! - what did you make him let me forget more? Did he maybe also killed our parents - no sorry _my_ parents -" - Elena felt like he had hit her in the face when he remembered her about the fact that she was adopted - "and made me forget that too?", Jeremy shouted in anger at her.

"Jeremy, please... I couldn't let you live with the pain and ..."

"It's alright, Elena! Why don't you let him mess around with everybody's minds?", he asked her sarcastically. "I don't want to talk to you anymore!"

Jeremy shook his head and walked to the house. "Mr Saltzman?"

Jeremy wanted to go home and as he didn't have a car, he had to ask if Alaric would bring him home. Elena followed him but he had already gone down to the cellar. She hurried down the stairs when she bumped into Jeremy who had stopped below the staircase and was staring at two people a few meters in front of him.

"Jeremy?", Elena frowned and followed his glance.

"Jenna!", she said shocked, though she knew this would have happen sometime.

Jenna and Alaric were leaning against the wall opposite the door Stefan was locked behind and were kissing.

"Elena!", Jenna startled and quickly loosened her arms around Alaric's neck and stepped back.

"We … ehm … I … - I just wanted to go upstairs.", she said quickly and hushed past Elena and Jeremy.

Elena tried not to laugh and frowning she looked at Alaric who shrugged and gave her an innocently look.

"Sooo … well, I'm not going to say anything about this … - Is he awake?", Elena pointed at the locked cellar door.

Alaric looked through the bars in the door. "Yes, I think so. Better you stay away from the door."

Elena nodded and waited for them to leave.

"Hey, Rick, could you bring me home?", Jeremy asked Alaric when he walked by and avoided to look at Elena.

"Sure! I just have to talk to Damon before, ok?", Alaric said.

"Ok, thanks man!", Jeremy answered.

_Well, she had ruined nearly every relationship she had. Stefan hated her, Jenna was mad at her, her friends probably didn't want anything to do something with her after they would know what she had been hiding and Jeremy was doing everything not to be in one house with her. Great! She felt like she had Lepra and nobody wanted to have anything to do with her. No, not nobody. There was somebody who still liked her … _

When she couldn't hear them anymore, she turned around and walked towards the door where Stefan was locked.

"Stefan?", she whispered as she was somehow scared to make a noise.

Damon was still sitting in the kitchen when Alaric entered the room.

"We need to talk."

"I suppose we both want to talk about the same problem?", Alaric asked fiercely.

"I think so, yes.", Damon said while he stood up. "Well, then … I don't think Caroline is a vampire."

"Then what do you think is she?", Alaric asked curiously.

"A werewolf."

Carefully Elena watched through the bars. Stefan was leaning against the wall and slowly turned his head towards the door.

"Elena …", he laughed sarcastically. "What do you want? Do you want to see how I am going to dry out until there's only a little bit of skin left of me?"

Suddenly his look turned so devilish that Elena got a fright and stumbled backwards. Just in time. Stefan had gone up in high speed and tried to reach for her through the bars. When he realized he couldn't reach her anymore, he laughed sadly and slowly fell to the ground again. Elena could hear her heart beat in her throat.

_She could have been dead now. Her neck broken or drained by Stefan._

This thought made her run upstairs and lock the door carefully. She watched around and noticed Alaric and Jeremy already left and as she didn't see Jenna anywhere she supposed she had gone home too. It was already dark outside and Elena decided to look for Damon, when she already walked into him.

"Damon! You scared me! Has everybody gone home?"

"Yep. Alaric brought Jenna and Jeremy home and decided to stay there for their safety. So … we're _alone_ now …", Damon smirked and moved closer to Elena.

"Eh … Fine! - Damon I just wanted to ask whether … I could stay here over night …?"

She tried to ignore his icy blue eyes on just a few inches from hers. Damon took his time to answer and looked her into her eyes for a what seemed a century for Elena, who felt like she was hypnotized by him. Suddenly Damon teared his eyes off hers.

"Sure! To be honest, I already prepared the guest bedroom for you – but if you don't want to sleep alone, if you need someone near you … you can also sleep in _my_ bedroom …", Damon smirked innocently.

"Eh … no thanks, the guest bedroom is fine!", Elena said with red cheeks.

_Why don't you admit it, Elena? I know you can't resist me. I heard your heart skip a beat!_

Damon watched her amused.

"What?", Elena asked.

"Nothing.", he said innocently and tried to hide his smirk. "I'll show you your room."

_Did he know that … no he couldn't. She wasn't even sure about her own feelings, how could he know then? But though …_

"Elena?", Damon was already standing on top of the stairs. "Your room …?"

Elena nodded and quickly walked upstairs, trying to hide her cheeks with her long hair. Damon smirked and opened a door and held it open for her.

"Here you are. - Do you want something to eat?"

"Eh, yes, but it's fine, I can make something myself. You don't have to make something for me.", Elena answered.

"What? No! You're my guest! And I love cooking!", Damon smiled. "Do you like spaghetti?"

Elena nodded. "Hmhm, yes."

"Well, then, I'll go cooking and you can freshen up. See you later!", he smirked again and closed the door.

Elena had taken a shower and put on some clean jeans and a t-shirt. She watched at the clock. Quarter past seven.

She should go into the kitchen and help Damon, or try to help Damon, because very probable he wouldn't let her.

Damon was standing with his back to her, stirring in some pans.

"Just in time!", Damon swirled around and smiled at her.

"Can I help?", Elena asked hopefully.

"You could finish setting the table."

Damon had already put two plates and cutlery on the table.

"Where are the glasses?", Elena asked.

Damon pointed with his head to a cupboard beside his head. Elena took two glasses, while Damon put the tomato salad on the table. When Elena turned around to walk to the table, Damon bumped into her.

Elena sighed. "Don't do that!"

"Do what?", Damon asked innocently.

"You know what! That move was deliberate!", Elena watched him threatening.

"Yeah, I was deliberately trying to get to the … - sink!", Damon excused himself.

Elena rolled her eyes and went on with setting the table. Damon turned around and smirked.


	9. Trance

9. Trance

"That tasted really wonderful, Damon."

Damon smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm glad you liked it! Well, it _had_ to taste good, I practiced for more than a century!"

Elena laughed."I think I'll go to bed now."

Elena stood up.

"Sure. It's already late. I will tidy up.", Damon smiled at her.

Elena yawned and nodded. "Thanks, Damon. That's very kind. I would have helped you, but I'm so tired. I'm sorry... Well, goodnight then.", she said and walked out of the kitchen.

She saw the door to the cellar and shuddered. In a hurry Elena went to the guest room. She had a feeling like somebody was following her.

_That was not possible, of course. Stefan was locked up and he couldn't get out. It must have been her fantasy._

She closed the door carefully and told herself to calm down. She changed into a oversized t-shirt and hotpants and climbed into bed.

When she woke up everything was dark around her. Only the numbers of the clock on the bedside table lighted up.

Quarter past one.

Elena sighed and turned around a few times, but she couldn't fall asleep anymore. She couldn't get the thoughts about all the happenings of the last day out of her head. She sat up and decided to get some water. Barefoot she walked down the hallway, down the stairs and into the kitchen, trying not to make a sound. She opened the fridge door, hoping there would be any water in it. She wasn't very keen on having to drink blood.

_Thank God._

Elena took the _only_ bottle with water and closed the fridge. She turned around to sit at the kitchen table when she stumbled into something dark which was standing so close behind her that his chest was touching her.

_Why did she always end up being so close to him?_

"Damon!", Elena gasped. "You scared me!"

Her skin tingled where Damon's skin touched hers.

"Elena.", Damon replied. "What are you doing in my kitchen in the middle of the night?"

Damon raised one eyebrow and smirked at her.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you … I couldn't sleep …", Elena apologized.

"Oh, never mind! I like having restless young ladies in my kitchen!", he smirked. "And why couldn't you sleep?"

"I was just thinking about … you know … about Stefan and things … and Jeremy …", Elena answered depressed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"You sound like the therapist to whom I had to go after the – accident – of my parents."

Now she sounded even more depressed.

"Are you ok?", Damon asked worried.

"Yeah, sure! Everybody just hates me or wants to kill me or – or -"

Elena couldn't hold it any longer. Her shoulders started to shake and tears dropped down her cheeks, onto Damon's black shirt.

"Shh, Elena … everything will be fine."

Damon wrapped his arms tightly around her and rocked her. He carefully dried her tears.

"But what are we going to do with Stefan? I mean – will he ever be normal again?", Elena sobbed.

"I … don't know … If he really loved Katherine that much … then I don't think he will forgive me _ever_ … but if it's only something Katherine put into his head … then maybe …", Damon said a bit desperate, rubbing Elena's back.

"Here, drink something, that will make you feel better.", Damon handed her the bottle she had dropped when she had walked into Damon.

Elena sat down on the kitchen table chair and drank a bit of water.

"That's better, isn't it?", Damon stroke her over her head.

Elena nodded, rubbing the tears off her cheeks. "Thanks."

"I think we should go back to bed."

Damon lifted her up, which caused a weak reaction by Elena and walked upstairs with her. Elena was still shaking slightly and clung to Damon.

"I think you shouldn't be alone right now, Elena. You're emotional disturbed.", Damon said and walked straight into his own bedroom and put her on his bed. He lied down beside her and pulled her close.

To his surprise, Elena wrapped her arms around him and put her head on his chest.

_He was the only one she had now. Her only friend. Her only companion. He knew about anything she had gone through. And he wasn't the cold, emotionless, I-don't-give-a-fuck person anymore as he had been._

When Damon woke up, Elena was still using him as her pillow. He decided not to move to let her sleep. He listened her breath and watched her face.

_She was so beautiful. From the outside she looked peaceful and confident, but he knew that from the inside she had been damaged, several times. He wondered about her feelings for him. Did she only see him as a friend? Or was there more … ?_

He just reached out to touch her cheek when she opened her eyes.

Damon quickly pulled back his hand. "Good morning, beautiful!", Damon smirked at her.

Elena yawned. "Morning." Then she realized that she was lying on Damon.

She blushed slightly and quickly sat up, trying not to look him in the eyes, which was difficult as Damon was looking at her with his electrifying blue eyes.

"Don't look at me like that! I – I don't know how this happened. It – I ...", Elena stumbled over her own words.

"Well, _I_ know how this happened …"

Damon smirked while he leaned forward until his face was at less than an inch from Elena's face. He had supposed that she would move away, but she didn't. His lips softly touched hers as he kissed her. At first Elena didn't kiss back, but then she answered his Elena interrupted their kiss and turned away.

She cleared her throat. "I – I – have to go."

She quickly jumped out of the bed and walked out of his room, leaving a slightly surprised Damon behind.

_What the hell was with her? She had sworn she would never make out with him! But she couldn't resist him when he was so near. She had to admit that he was really gorgeous and that he wasn't as unbearable as in the beginning when she just got to know him, when she and Stefan had been together … Stefan …_

Elena shook her head to get rid of the thought about Stefan and closed the door to the guest room. She took a shower and found her travel bag on her bed which Damon must have got for her from the car – the stolen car - with which they had went back to Mystic Falls. She dressed in skinny black jeans, a dark red tank top, a black leather jacket and her favorite chucks. Then Elena went downstairs. Everything was silent.

"Damon?"

No answer.

Elena walked into the kitchen and saw a little piece of paper on the kitchen table.

_I'm at Alaric's. I'm sorry I can't offer you something to eat, except spaghetti from yesterday, but I don't have any food for humans. ;) And don't go down to the cellar! Will you be able to do that? -Damon_

Elena walked to the living room when a voice in her mind, which somehow reminded her of Stefan, told her to go to the cellar. Elena opened the door and the cold air coming from downstairs mad her shiver. As in trance she walked down the stairs until she stood in front of the door where Stefan was locked behind. Stefan's voice now told her to unlock the door. Elena felt how her hands slowly removed the lock from the door, when suddenly she could think clearly again. She quickly tried to lock it again, but something strong pushed against it. Elena screamed and started running towards the stairs. She was already on the seventh step when she felt Stefan's hand clutch at her ankle. She screamed and kicked at him. He growled and had to let go. Elena stumbled up the stairs and ran towards the front door.

_She had to reach the sun, now, otherwise she would be dead._

She threw it open, hoping Damon had taken off Stefan's ring. She heard his breath, heavy and rasping and she could feel him right behind her. Then the sunlight burst into the hallway and Elena could hear Stefan growl. Nevertheless, Elena ran on until she was standing in the middle of the sun. She turned around, breathing heavily. The door was closed and Stefan was nowhere in shaking hands Elena pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Damon's number.

"Damon, we got a problem!", she yelled in the phone even before Damon could make one of his naughty comments about how sexy she sounded through the phone for example.

"Why are you out of breath? What's going on there?", Damon asked cool.

"Stefan broke out, Damon! He's still somewhere in the house. I'm standing outside. Thank God you took off his ring!"

"OK. Eh … get away from the house and stay in the sun! I'll be there in a minute!" Damon didn't sound as cool as before anymore.

"Ok.", Elena ended the call.

She hold her phone tightly in her hand and started walking down the street, watching scared over her shoulder to assure that Stefan wasn't following her, when a car stopped beside her.

"Elena?"

_Oh no. Not now._

"Matt.", Elena answered with a forced smile on her lips.

"How are you?"

_Great. Matt trying to make smalltalk with her._

**_YAY THEY FINALLY KISSED! WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? PLS LET ME KNOW! :p_**


	10. Confrontation

10. Confrontation

"Elena?"

_Oh no. Not now._

"Matt.", Elena answered with a forced smile on her lips.

"How are you?"

_Great. Matt trying to make smalltalk with her._

"Matt, I really don't have time right now."

Elena walked on and Matt had to drive after her.

"Elen -", Matt started to say when he was interrupted.

"Elena! Thank God, you're ok!", Damon ran towards her and embraced her tightly.

Then he turned around to face Matt.

"And what are _you_ doing here?", he asked with a dangerous look on his face.

"I was just driving by! Do you want to forbid me to do that?", Matt said with a provoking voice.

"I could also just hit you in your stupid face!", Damon threatened.

"Damon, Matt, stop it!", Elena tried to get between them.

"Oh yeah? Then come on! Show me what you got!", Matt got out of the car and positioned himself in front of Damon.

"Don't be stupid! You know you can't beat me.", Damon said with a disparaging voice.

"Oh yeah, Mr _I-am-the-best_! We will see!", Matt said and raised his hand to strike.

"Matt! Don't!", Elena yelled.

But Damon only needed one small move to stop Matt's hand in front of his face.

"Bad move …", Damon smirked.

Matt's expression turned angry and he was staring at Damon, their faces only a few centimeters from each other. Damon stared back with a bored look on his face. Finally Matt growled, murmured something Elena couldn't hear and pulled his hand out of Damon's.

"I told you, don't mess with me!", Damon smiled.

Matt ignored Damon and stepped into his car.

"Bye, Elena. Was nice talking to you.", he said and had a last furious look at Damon.

_Gosh. This was going to be very nice. Damon and Matt hating each other. Why did Damon have to behave like an idiotic macho hero? And Matt … well … _

Elena sighed. "Why did you do that?"

"Why does that _Matt-boy_ have to be so stubborn?", Damon contradicted. "He knows you don't love him anymore, doesn't he? Well, otherwise I can tell him.", he smirked at her.

Elena rolled her eyes.

"Come on Elena, we have to find a save hiding place for you before the sun goes down.", Damon said and pulled Elena with him. "Is there any place Stefan hasn't been invited in?"

"Eh ... I don't know. I think he has never been invited in at Caroline's …"

"Well, Caroline isn't the best opportunity right know.", Damon said sarcastically. "Anyone else?"

"Matt! He's never been invited in there!"

"No way, Elena! I'm not going to ask that _Mutt_ to have you in his house! Do you know anyone else?"

"Damon! Come on! Don't be so childish! At Matt's I would be save!"

"Elena …... damn it!" Damon looked troubled. "OK! But if he's going to harass you in whatever kind of way, I promise you I'll break all his bones!"

"Ok, Damon, calm down! That won't happen."

Damon looked annoyed, but he started walking down the street.

"This is too slow. Elena come here."

Elena eyed him suspiciously, but walked towards him. Damon grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her into the bushes.

"What the -", Elena protested, but she was interrupted by Damon who lifted her up bridal-style.

"Damon, what are you -", she asked him surprised.

But Elena had no time to finish speaking, because she had to cling to Damon who had started to run in vampire speed. Elena only saw vague green stripes from trees and plants they were passing.

Already after a few minutes Damon stopped and put her back on her feet.

"Are you ok?"

"I think so …" Elena staggered and Damon immediately reached out to catch her in his strong arms.

"It's ok, I can stand.", Elena tried to assure Damon.

She left Damon's arms – though it felt so good – and looked around. They were standing in front of Matt's house. Elena started to walk towards the front door, still a bit staggering, while Damon watched her amused.

She reached the door and rang the bell.

"Do you think he's already at home?", Elena asked Damon, who had now joined her at the door.

But an answer wasn't necessary. Matt's car just drove onto the driveway. He parked and got out of the car.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Matt asked Damon threatening. "And – how the hell did you get here so fast?", he asked suspiciously.

"Eh … we – we walked.", Elena quickly said.

Matt raised his eyebrows. It was clear that he didn't believe a word of it.

"Ask him.", Damon told her.

"Why do I -?", Elena asked indignant.

"It was your idea. And I will never asked that _Mitch_ for a favor.", Damon said threatening.

Damon still refused to say Matt's name right.

Elena sighed.

"Matt, we're here because … - can we stay at your house for a while?", Elena asked hopefully.

"What? Elena, I won't. I can't be with you in one house as long as you're with _him_."

Matt looked threatening to Damon. Damon smirked and waved his hand at him.

"Matt, please?"

Matt got a gloomy look in his eyes. "Ok, you can stay at my home, if … if you kiss me, Elena."

Elena couldn't believe her ears. "Excuse me?"

Damon growled and threw Matt with his back against the wall, squeezing his neck.

Damon's eyes pierced Matt's. "I warn you! Don't force her to do things she doesn't want to!"

Matt was gasping for breath and Elena had to beg Damon to stop squeezing his neck.

Damon struggled inwardly with himself, but finally he loosened his grip.

Matt breathed in deeply. "Go to hell, Damon."

"I've already been in hell, _Matt_.", Damon laughed joylessly.

The look on Matt's face turned a bit anxious and he eyed Damon suspiciously.

"You're going invite us in to your house. Now."

Damon let go off Matt and pushed him to the front door. Matt took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door.

"Elena, come in.", Matt said.

Elena walked in and waited for Matt to invite Damon in. She saw Matt struggling with himself inwardly.

"Come in.", he said with an angry look on his face.


	11. Collaboration

11. Collaboration

Damon smirked smugly. "Thank you."

He walked past Matt, who slammed the door shut a little bit too loud, and took the freedom of exploring Matt's home.

"Stefan has _never_ been here, _Mutt_?", Damon asked, refusing again to use Matt's name correctly, while he walked into the living room.

Matt followed him, furious about Damon being in his house and calling him wrong names.

"My name is Matt! M – a – t – t! Alright?", he said angrily. "And, no, he hasn't. Why do you want to know that?"

"Alright, Mitch. That's great!", Damon smiled, ignoring the comment about Matt's name.

Elena gave him a warning look. He shouldn't go too far.

Elena wondered about how she was going to get through this day. And then worse, through the night. It was clear that Stefan wouldn't come before sundown, as he didn't have a ring which protected him against the sunlight, but he would come. She knew he would.

Elena was restless. She had already walked through the house three times, watched TV, had made herself something to eat though she wasn't hungry, to pass the time, but she couldn't concentrate on anything as she was always thinking of Stefan.

_Stefan attacking the house, Stefan attacking her, Stefan hurting the people she loved … _

Damon had called Alaric, who had taken Jenna and Jeremy to his house again, to inform them about Stefan and tell them to already hide in the cellar before it would get dark.

He was sitting at the bar when suddenly his skin started to tingle and he smelled him.

_The same smell, but different though. _

_No. It wasn't a man, it was a she._

He turned around. She had just entered the pub and sat down at a table. She looked confused and _– what was it? Anxious? Angry? Maybe both at the same time._

He left his seat and approached the table where she was sitting on her own. The smell tingled his nose. She didn't seem to notice anything of his smell though.

"Is this place taken?", he asked her politely.

She startled. "Huh? Oh, no. No, it's not."

"How are you?", he asked.

"I don't know …", she answered a bit confused.

"I know. At the beginning it's the hardest, but you will get used to it. Firstly you have to get your power and emotions under control.", he told her.

Suddenly she looked him in the eyes. "You know about - what I am?", she asked incredulously.

"You're the same as I am. Only you're the first female I've met.", he smiled at her.

"So you know what's going with me?", she asked desperately.

"Yeah, I do. I also went through it, but I had someone who knew everything about it. Who _you_ apparently don't have, which is strange I think. Is nobody else in your family … ?", he asked surprised.

"No, my mum is – was" she corrected herself. "- human and my dad … I don't know … he left us when I was about two …", she said with a failing voice.

Reminded of the death of her mother she asked: "Do you know what I have _done_?", she asked him angrily of herself.

"What do you mean? I heard about your mother, but … oh my God … it was the first time you transformed, wasn't it? And you could control it … oh my God. I'm _so_ sorry."

Tears were rolling down her cheeks. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

"Come with me. You can stay at my home if you want to. By the way, where did you stay all the time after …", he asked, avoiding to mention her mother again.

"At home. I didn't know what I should do. I was afraid of – of being with other persons, afraid of what I would do with them. When I was calmed down enough I went here.", Caroline cried.

They got up, Tyler quickly paid for his drink, which stood totally forgotten on the bar, and they left the pub.

Damon and Matt had been ignoring each other for the rest of the day and avoided it to be in the same room as the other and Damon watched carefully over Elena so that Matt wouldn't be able to get to her.

It was late in the afternoon, when Damon went to sit with Elena in the living room.

"I just tried to call Rick, but the phone wasn't able to connect, because there's no reception in the cellar, I think." Then he noticed Elena's face. "Are you ok?"

Elena was a bit pale in the face but tried not to show that she was terrified of Stefan jumping onto her any moment and ripping her throat out. It felt like waiting for your death penalty.

"I'm fine! Thanks!", she lied, trying not to let her voice fail.

"You don't have to lie about it. I know you're terrified, Elena.", Damon said with a kind voice. "Everything's going to be ok, Elena. Calm down. We're going to solve this.", he smiled at her.

Elena nodded and tried to smile at him.

"Can I do anything for you?", he asked.

_He was so sweet. He cared for her, was worried about her. She wanted to crawl into his arms and just lie there. But there was something she wanted to know first._

"Well, ehm … what's going on with Caroline? Is she a vampire?", Elena asked.

"Right, you didn't know anything about it yet. Well, we got good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Elena hesitated. "The good news."

"A – part of – the good news is that Caroline isn't a vampire!", Damon said.

"What? But what happened then?", Elena asked confused.

"That's part of the bad news. She is a - ", Damon hesitated.

_Should he bother her with this now?_

Elena raised her eyebrows waiting for him to talk on.

"She's a werewolf."

Elena's mouth dropped. "Werewolf? Vampires, werewolves … what comes next?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Alaric did some research and he got to know a bit about the happenings. It turned out that when Caroline transformed, she couldn't control herself, couldn't control her power, and she accidentally killed her mother …", Damon said, his voice getting lower at the end.

"Oh my God! That's horrible! Poor Caroline!", Elena said shocked.

"Really a very tragic story, I know. But the other part of the good news, or maybe it's bad news,", Damon frowned. "Is that we have at least one other werewolf in town. And this werewolf is taking care of her now, so I think we don't have to bother about it at the moment."

"Another werewolf?", Elena asked curiously. "Who?"

"Tyler. Tyler Lockwood."

"Tyler? Oh my God …", Elena said.

"I think you should get some sleep, Elena. You look exhausted. Today's happenings were a bit too much for you I think.", Damon told her. "I will watch over you, so that _Mutt-boy_ - and Stefan of course - won't get at you.", he said, rolling his eyes at Matt's and Stefan's names.

"My name is MATT!", Matt yelled from the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mitch!", Damon yelled back.

"Damon! Stop it! Leave him alone!", Elena said, being sorry for Matt.

"Whatever. Sleep a bit, ok?"

_How the hell could he stay so cool? Stefan was going to jump their necks any moment, but Damon behaved like they were at home, watching some movie and eating popcorn!_

Elena took the blanket Damon was holding in front of her. She sighed and looked out of the window. The sun was going under. She wrapped the blanket around body and lay down on the sofa. Damon was sitting on the couch opposite of her and was looking at her.

"Stop staring at me, Damon! You're making me nervous! And I'm already nervous enough!", she told him accusingly.

"Alright!" Damon turned his head and stared at the wall at his right, which made Elena laugh.

"Damon!", she said, but he ignored her and acted like she wasn't there.

"Fine.", Elena sighed and turned her back to him. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

**Sooo what's gonna happen with stefan? is he gonna kill them all? Is he gonna be killed?**

**Sorry guys, it had to be a cliffhanger ;P**

**Review please! :D I'm curious of your opinions! ;) **


	12. Nocturnal Visitors

ok ppl i did my best but it was so so hard to get something that wasn't strange and sounded ridiculous ... i hope you like it ;) i appreciate any comments and advice ;)

12. Nocturnal Visitors

Elena woke up with a start from a sound at the window. Everything was dark and she couldn't see anything.

"Damon?", she whispered.

No answer.

She got up and looked anxiously at the window.

_Was that a silhouette of a person? Or was it just the tree? Most likely it was Stefan …_

A shiver ran down Elena's spine.

_Where the hell was Damon? Most probably going to play the here outside, facing his evil brother._

She started to walk towards the door to the hallway. It was pitch dark around her and nearly every meter she bumped into a one of Matt's couches, chairs or table. When she had finally reached the door, something was blocking her way. Suddenly it made a fast move and Elena opened her mouth to scream. But she didn't even come to make a sound because the person in the doorway quickly placed it's hand on her mouth and pulled her with it.

Elena tried to struggle herself out of the arms of the person, but she was locked in the iron arms of her abductor. She tried to recognize its face, but it was too dark to see a thing. Though she smelled something familiar …

_She knew that scent … wasn't that … she knew it very well! That was Damon's after shave... ? For God's sake! What was he doing?_

Damon had lifted her up now and was carrying her into the guest bathroom in the hallway. After closing the door carefully, he switched on the light and looked at Elena, still holding his hand in front of her mouth. Not wanting to make any sound, Damon placed his finger vertically over his lips, to make her clear she had to be silent and took his hand off her mouth.

"Why the hell did you take me here?", Elena whispered angrily.

"Because this is the only room without window and because Stefan … has arrived … but he's not the only one … there's another vampire outside. But I don't know who it is yet.", Damon whispered back with a worried look in his eyes.

Suddenly they heard a marrow reaching scream.

"God! What was that?", Elena asked anxiously and moved a little bit closer to Damon.

"I don't know. Stay here, Elena.", Damon said and had already left the room.

"Damon! Wait!", Elena whispered as loud as she could, but there was no answer.

Damon followed the quietest sound of someone walking on the grass at the backyard. He opened the door and saw the silhouette of his brother standing in the middle of the lawn, when suddenly a second silhouette moved from his left towards him.

_Damn it! Not that bitch! Was she at his side or Stefan's?_

But halfway the woman changed direction and was now walking towards Stefan.

_So she was on his side … or was it just a trap?_

But Stefan took a few steps backwards when the woman came closer. Damon followed her until he was standing at a few feet from Stefan.

"Isobel, what are you doing here?", Damon asked suspiciously.

"Hello, Damon.", she smiled unpleasantly. "I just came to visit my daughter."

"Well, then you can immediately turn around and return to where you came from, because I don't think Elena wants to meet you right now!", Damon said angrily.

Elena sighed. _She couldn't be standing around here without doing anything. _

_S_he knew she would have no chance against a vampire, but stubborn as she was she left the bathroom and listened for a sound somewhere. She followed the noise of snatches of voices coming from the backyard.

_She would not just going to stand here and look how Damon and Stefan were going to hurt each other. This fight was about _her_, she couldn't let Damon get hurt, or even worse, killed in it because of her. If that other vampire was on Stefan's side Damon would probably already be killed after a few seconds trying to save her life which would be taken anyway then. _

Suddenly she saw something move at her right and she was getting ready for an unpleasant encounter with Stefan when someone whispered: "Elena, is that you?"

"Matt, for God's sake! You scared me to death!", Elena whispered back.

"What was that terrible noise?", he asked terrified.

_God. What should she tell him? That there were some vampires in his garden, going to rip each other's throat out?_

Matt had now reached the door to the garden and looked outside.

"For heaven's sake … who the hell are they?", he asked, staring at the three people standing on his lawn.

Elena followed his gaze and her heart started to bounce faster. The moon was half full and she could see three vampires standing on the dark green grass, facing each other. Damon and the unknown vampire were standing with their back to the house, Stefan opposite to them, watching them angrily.

_She had to do something._

Elena opened the door to the garden. The click of the lock sounded a thousands of times louder than normally. She placed her foot on the green moist grass and left the safe house. The fresh air made her shiver. Then everything happened at the same time. Suddenly Stefan wasn't standing opposite to Damon any longer and appeared in front of Elena. She felt someone grabbing her arm and heard Matt screaming at her. She saw the third vampire ran after Stefan, followed by Damon. All of a sudden she felt the worst pain she had ever felt before. Stefan had bitten her deep in her neck and was trying to drain her.

Isobel growled and jumped onto Stefan and bit him in his throat. He let go off Elena and turned to Isobel. Elena collapsed, but before she fall to the ground Damon was already next to her and carefully hold her, placing her on the moist grass.

Elena could feel how the life was streaming out of her body. She started to feel dizzy and the noise around her sounded like she was under water. She sighed and staggered.

Her head was so heavy … everything was so heavy …

Elena's head fell back.

_How beautiful the sky was … all those little stars … her parents were somewhere up there … her parents …_

They were snapping at each other, trying to reach the other's neck, when suddenly a voice said:

"Stefan? Oh my God!"

Matt had recognized Stefan and was watching him incredulously.

Stefan was distracted for one second and Isobel took her chance and attacked Stefan's neck. She ripped a part out of his throat and Stefan roared with pain.

Elena didn't feel any pain anymore and she felt like she was floating through the air.

_It was so dark … why was it so dark? No, there was a light … but it was so far away … Someone was yelling at her … why was he yelling? She wanted to tell him to shut up, but she was so tired … so tired … _

"Elena! Elena! Can you hear me?"

Damon was kneeling beside Elena and pressing his hand against the huge wound in Elena's neck.

Elena's eyes were closed and she didn't move.

"Damn it!", Damon roared furiously.

He bit his wrist and pressed it against Elena's mouth.

"Please, Elena … don't die …", he said with a deadening voice.

_This was going to be the worst day in his entire life._


	13. A 13 Amnesia

_**Ok ppl I decided to make two different endings! Read every A chapter for the first ending and every B chapter for the second ending! I recommend not to read them after each other cuz then you'll probably be disconcerted. ;)Btw maybe i'm also gonna write a third ending..but i'm not sure bout that yet ;) I hope you like it!**_

A. 13. Amnesia

"_Elena! Elena! Can you hear me?"_

_Damon was kneeling beside Elena and pressing his hand against the huge wound in Elena's neck._

_Elena's eyes were closed and she didn't move. _

"_Damn it!", Damon roared furiously._

_He bit his wrist and pressed it against Elena's mouth._

"_Please, Elena … don't die …", he said with a deadening voice._

_This was going to be the worst day in his entire life._

When Elena woke up she found herself in a impersonal, sterile, cold room. She carefully looked around the room, a bandage in her neck was preventing her from being able to turn her head well, and saw the needle of an blood infusion in her arm. She turned her gaze and looked out of the only window. From her bed Elena could only see the tops of some huge trees waving in the wind at only a few meters of the window. A big black crow was sitting in the top of the highest tree. Suddenly it turned its head and looked straight at her. The crow looked at her with such an intense, piercing look that Elena's heart pounded. The crow spread its wings and swung itself from the branch it had been sitting on. It glided through the air and landed on the windowsill.

"Hello, Damon.", Elena smiled at the crow.

There was a waving of feathers and cloth and Damon appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Elena.", Damon smiled.

"How did you do that?", she asked curiously.

He smirked mysteriously. "I am not going to tell you that now. Maybe when you're out of hospital, Elena."

"Ok, I will keep you to that!", Elena said laughing.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you how you were feeling, but as I see you're doing quite good.", he said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm feeling ok, thanks. I'm just a bit dizzy and tired."

She hesitated. "I just can't remember … what happened …", Elena said with an anguished face.

"Well, where should I begin? You have been unconscious for one day and you slept another day after that. You lost quite a lot of blood you know …", Damon said while he tried not to look at the bandage at Elena's neck.

"I only remember Stefan attacking me … then everything became dark … Damon, _what_ happened? Is Stefan …?", Elena asked depressed.

"You mean … is he dead?", Damon asked.

The word sounded awfully cold in the room.

"Yes … that's what I meant.", Elena answered not at ease.

Damon hesitated. "I'm sorry, Elena … he is dead …"

Elena's didn't say anything for a while.

"I should feel sorry about it, shouldn't I? But I'm not … gosh … what happened to me? Did I become a emotionless monster?", Elena asked with widened eyes.

Damon walked towards the bed and sat down next to Elena. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, carefully not to hurt her.

"Of course you're not emotionless and certainly not a monster! Calm down. You can't think clearly, you're still affected from the loss of blood, Elena. You have to rest. I will leave you alone now."

Damon leaned toward her til the his nose nearly touched hers. He heard her heart pounding and smiled inwardly. Elena slightly turned red.

"Dream sweet dreams … ", he smirked, pressed a kiss on her forehead and stood up.

"Damon, wait!", Elena said, but Damon didn't listen and walked straight out of the room.

Elena sighed and fell back into the pillows.

_He couldn't tell her. He just could not tell her about Stefan. She would blame herself for it. But there was one thing he had to tell her. She had to know it hadn't been him or Isobel who had killed him. He would never have killed his own brother. And he didn't want her to think that her own mother killed her ex-boyfriend._

Damon left of the hospital and walked to his car he had parked on the parking lot.

_He had nothing to do. He was definitely _not_ going to make some smalltalk with _Isobel._ But what was he going to do then? His life seemed so empty now that Elena wasn't around and Stefan … well, he was gone … _

Elena looked around bored and thought about all the happenings.

_How did he die? Would Damon have … or that woman? She still didn't know who that woman was … Everything was so exhausting … _

"Good morning, Miss Gilbert! It's nice to see you awake! How are we today?", some overzealous nurse entered the room and started messing around at Elena's infusion.

"What did they tell you about what happened with me?", Elena asked her.

"Sorry? What they told me? They said you were attacked by some animal in the woods … don't you remember that?", the nurse answered.

_Haha, so that was it. An animal attack._ "No … I guess I don't …"

"Well, that happens.", the nurse smiled overly nice at her. "You have to take these pill, now, dear. Against the pain."

Elena took the pill and the water she was holding in front of her and swallowed it.

"Very well. You should get some more sleep, you are quite pale.", the nurse said and left the room.

Elena sighed. _Fine! Why was everybody saying she needed some sleep? What she needed were _answers_!_

But she started feeling sleepy and her eyes closed.

_That … bitch ... must have put something in her infusion … she didn't want to sleep … she wanted to know … _

Damon opened the door of the Mystic Grill. Immediately all the voices and noise poured in his ears. But one voice stood out. He turned his head towards the direction of where it came from. Caroline was sitting at the bar with Tyler and laughing.

_The two werewolves …_ Damon smirked. _It seemed like they were going to have a werewolf couple in Mystic Falls … Caroline seemed in good hands with him._

_**Ok this chapter was kinda strange... I had no inspiration … next chapter will be better I hope! ;P**_

_**shoutout to xIanlicious who encouraged me to write on and dont give up thinking everything was shit! Lol :)**_


	14. B 13 Life and Death

B. 13. Life and Death

When Elena woke up her muscles were aching. It nearly felt like her body was on fire. Her skin was itching, her eyes were burning and it felt like her canine teeth were going to be pulled out.

She looked around and found herself in the Salvatore's house. She was lying between the downy pillows and blankets in the bed in the guest room. She heard someone walking from the kitchen, upstairs to the guest room. The door opened and Damon entered. Both Elena and Damon kept silent.

Damon walked towards the bed and looked at her with a sad look on his face.

Elena hesitated. "Am I … am I a - _vampire_?", she whispered fearfully.

"Elena." Damon sat down on the bed. "I am so sorry that this happened."

It was the first time that Elena heard something like _real_ regret in Damon's voice.

"Yes ... you _are_ a vampire, Elena … at least if you complete the progress of the transformation."

"That means … drink human blood?", Elena asked apprehensively.

Damon stroke Elena's head. "Yes."

Elena kept silent for a while.

"What happens if I don't?", she asked with a frightened voice.

_Damn it. How was he going to tell her … ? There was no other way. She had to know it._

"You – you _die_.", he said and pulled her close.

_He didn't want her to die. She _had_ to complete the progress to become a vampire. What would he do if she wouldn't? If she would choose to die? He wanted her to be with him. Forever. He was so selfish._

Slowly a tear rolled down Elena's cheek. "I don't want this. At least not now. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later when I wouldn't have broken up with Stefan, if I wanted to be together with him forever. But … I don't want to die yet. I can't make this decision, Damon. I can't!", Elena said with a choking voice.

"_You_ have to make the decision, Elena. And you have to make it for yourself.", Damon loosened his grip around her shoulders and stood up. "I know it is the hardest decision you will ever be likely to make in your life. But I'm sure you will be able to make it."

Damon smiled encouraging at her and left the room.

He sighed and leaned against the wall.

_He could make the decision for her. But that would be incredibly selfish. He couldn't do that. It was her decision. It was her life. But he wanted very badly to be part of this life. But _she_ had to decide whether she wanted this life as a vampire, with _him_. She had to decide between _life_ and_ death_. It reminded him of his life. He had also been turned against his will. He had been furious with Stefan his whole life. He had had immense struggles with his immortal being. Until one day he had decided to turn off his feelings and not to care about anything and anybody. His motto had become sex, drugs and rock & roll. Until this girl entered his life. Or to be more precise, entered his brother's life. At the beginning he just wanted to take her away from him, have some fun with her, to annoy his brother. But after he got to know her, he started to like her, care for her. The happier he was, therefore, when his brother and Elena had broken up and Elena came with him to Los Angeles where they had fun. There he realized that he loved her. And he hoped with all his heart that she loved him too. He didn't know what he would do if she didn't._

Elena rubbed her temples and frowned.

_She didn't want to die. But did she want to be a vampire and live forever? Until someone would stab a stake through her heart. Or could vampire die of age?_

Elena laughed at this thought and imagined herself as an old hunched woman with a pole.

But the smile on her face disappeared already quickly.

_Eternal life against death. What should she choose? Death or life? Life or death? Or, to be more precise, death or _undead_ life?_

Elena stood up, protecting her eyes from the light coming through the curtains in front of the window and walked to the door. Barefoot she walked down the stairs and wanted to go into the kitchen, when she smelled something.

It smelled incredibly good, tasty and Elena suddenly felt hungry. But not that kind of hunger she had been used to, no hungry feeling in her stomach, but a kind of tingling throughout her body. She followed the direction of the smell and found herself in the living room. A glass was standing on the dark wooden dining table. With a rest of blood in it.

**_Sorry ppl, a bit shorter this time than the others, but I didnt have much time but I wantd to update sth ;)_**

**_and again a cliffhanger! is elena going to drink the blood and turn into a vampire? xPP you'll get to know in a few days! ;D_**


	15. A 14 Ashes Blowing In The Wind

**_I'm sorry it took sooo long! I was quite busy, so i didnt have time to write... and then i didnt have inspiration to write so it took its time! :/ school's gonna start monday :( so i'm only gonna update about every weekend …_**

**_I hope you dont get confused by the two-different-endings-A-B-thing ;P otherwise please tell me so that i can maybe do sth bout it ;)_**

**_Again as info: every chapter with an A is to read apart from the B chapters! They have nothing to do with each other, they both begin where chapter 12 ended!_**

**_Cheers._**

**A. 14. Ashes Blowing In The Wind**

"Good morning!", said a voice near Elena's ear.

Elena woke up with a start. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Damon's face was hanging only inches in front of hers and she felt her cheeks blush.

_Why did he always had to come so close?_

"Morning.", Elena said, trying to hide her red cheeks behind her long brown hair.

"Why so curt?", Damon asked and raised one eyebrow. "Aren't you happy to see me?", he smirked.

_Happy? You should know! I am freaking happy to see you, it feels like my heart is going to burst out of my chest! _You_ make me happy! Don't you see that?_

Elena sighed. "But sure I'm happy to see you, Damon. Your company is not as good as that of the nurse who comes by every morning to check my health status, but it's endurable!", Elena teased, hiding her real feelings from him.

_What did he feel for her? Did he feel the same as she did for him? Or would she only be a flirt, like all those girls he had had fun with, like Caroline, or did she mean more to him?_

Damon narrowed his eyes threateningly. "You should be careful what you say, Elena. Before you know I'll get you and you will hang at the top of that tree there.", Damon said, pointing to the tree outside the hospital room and trying not to show he was smirking.

"So is someone finally going to tell me what really happened? Not what you told that nurse – an animal attack! By the way … so you think Stefan was an animal?", Elena smirked.

"Haha!", he laughed joylessly. "Well, at the end he was kind of an animal, Elena.", Damon said with a serious, but sad look in his eyes. "And what happened … well, you were attacked by Stefan, Matt joined the battlefield, Stefan was distracted for one second and we were able to pull him off you, you fell to the ground and you didn't hear a thing anymore, you were losing a huge amount off blood because of the wound in your neck -", Damon pointed to the bandage in Elena's neck. "I fed you my blood, but you didn't heal fully and we had to bring you to hospital. Yeah, and here you are.", Damon said uncomfortably with played indifference.

"And what happened … with Stefan?", Elena asked.

"You mean – how did he die?"

Elena nodded.

"Elena, you have to promise me something first ok?", Damon said.

"What? I mean – why?", Elena asked him confused.

"Promise me you will _not_ blame yourself for what happened, ok? I know you good enough, so _promise_ me!", Damon looked her straight into the eyes.

Elena nodded again, still confused.

What_ had happened to Stefan?_

She sighed.

_Otherwise Damon wouldn't tell her. She had to, though she didn't knew whether she could stick to her promise._

"I promise."

"Elena … Stefan killed himself."

He watched her closely, scared for her reaction. But Elena only fell silent and looked at the white sheet under her hands and took a deep breath.

"How … did he do … _it_ … ?", she asked hesitantly.

Damon looked away, struggling inwardly.

"I have a right to know, Damon. You can tell me. I'm able to deal with it.", Elena insisted. But she felt some tears coming up.

_Stefan … all the beautiful moments they had shared with each other … their love … then he had gone insane and had just killed himself … _

"We … we were holding him in the cellar again, unsure about what to do with him … and well we left him there over the night and … next morning we found him … his ashes …"

Damon broke off and Elena could see the inner pain in his eyes.

"He had taken his ring off and had exposed himself to the first sunlight coming through the small window in the cellar, Elena.", he said with a anguished look in his eyes.

"Oh my God … that's horrible …", Elena said and felt the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Damon turned towards Elena and hugged her tightly but carefully not to hurt the wound in her neck.

"I know. I know …", Damon nodded and stroke his chin over Elena's head.

"What the hell?", a person at the door called outraged.

Quickly Elena pulled back from Damon's strong arms. _She knew this voice very well._

"Jenna, please, it's not what it might look like …"

_But what had it looked like? As they were in love? Or just like good friends, comforting each other?_

"Whatever,", Elena said dazed, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "Nice to see you, Aunt Jenna."

Damon retreated toward the door.

"I have to go now. See you, Elena.", he said, walking past Jenna, who was still standing in the doorway, and looked menacingly at her. Jenna glanced menacingly back and waited til Damon had left the room until she walked over to Elena.

"Are you ok?", she asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine … it's just … Damon told me about Stefan …", Elena said, when she realized Jenna might not now about it.

But Jenna nodded. "I know … very tragic. I'm so sorry for you, Elena, that you had to go through so much.", she said and hugged Elena tightly.

But Elena recognized the vacant expression in her eyes.

_Damon. He must have compelled her._

"I know.", Elena hugged her aunt back.

"So Jeremy decided he does want to talk to you again. I guess your near-death state brought him back to senses.", Jenna smiled at her. "He wanted to visit you one of these days.

"Well, then … that's nice … I hope he will let me explain everything he has been mad about with me."

"Yeah. Elena, I have to go, I have a meeting at 11 o'clock and I'm already a bit late!", she said looking at her watch. She pressed a kiss on Elena's cheek and rushed off.

"Damn it! I nearly forgot, here, I got something for you.", Jenna hurried back to the bed and gave her something in her hand.

Elena laughed and watched her aunt rush out of the room again. She looked at the package Jenna had given her. It was a small dark blue velvet ring box. Slowly she opened it. Inside it was Stefan's lapis lazulli ring.


	16. B 14 Red Pattern

**I'm so sorry it took so long, ppl, but school and things are keeping me totally busy! :( but here it is finally! Hope you like it :P cheers!**

B. 14. Red Pattern

Elena looked at the glass standing on the table. Light was shining through the dark red liquid and colored a part of it the most beautiful red she had ever seen. She looked at the bright red pattern it drew on the table and she was like hypnotized. She couldn't take her eyes off it. With her eyes fixed on the glass with blood she slowly walked towards it. The nearer she got, the more her veins started tingling. She got at the table and reached out. Her fingertips touched the cool glass and a shiver went down her spine when she smelled the penetrating coppery scent of the blood. Her fingers were clutching the glass now and she lifted it up, slowly, her eyes still only fixed on the blood, unaware of all the things around her. Carefully she brought it to her mouth and her lips touched the rim of the glass.

Damon turned the key in the lock and opened the door. He threw his keys on the side table and walked into the living room. But he stopped abruptly and looked around in amazement. The living room was a mess. Part of the furniture was overturned and was lying all across the room. He started putting chairs and tables to its feet again, when he saw something shiny lying beside the leg of the table. Damon stooped down to pick it up and held the empty glass in his hand.

_Darkness. Coldness. But not that dark that she couldn't see anymore, not that cold, just a bit colder than her skin. _Elena touched her skin with the tops of her fingers, shivering by the touch on her own cool skin. She looked up and scanned the surroundings. Nothing but bushes, undergrowth and trees. Dark and high. She could see the their every single leaf, a mixture of all tones of green Elena had ever seen. Suddenly Elena turned her head with jerk, her eyes piercing into the darkness, eying the fox standing between the bushes, only visible for supernatural eyes. The fox felt the presence of another hunter and quickly disappeared.

"Damn it!"

With immense power Damon threw the glass into the fireplace.

_She was a vampire. On the one hand he was happy. She was immortal now, too, which meant that there would not be any difficulties about that question anymore if she wanted a future with him. But on the other hand, he was sad. No. Angry. Angry that she had to go through the same he had had to go through about 160 years ago._

Damon poured a glass with Whiskey and took a big gulp.

_By the way, where had Elena got that glass with blood from? He was sure _he_ hadn't left it there, so someone else must have put it there … or would Elena have taken it herself?_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heels in the hallway and Isobel appeared in the doorway.

"What happened here? Was your living room hit by a tornado or what?", she smiled teasingly. But the smile on her face disappeared when she saw the empty glass in Damon's hand. "Damon! What happened? Is she – is she ok?", she asked him anxiously.

"She, well, ehm, she drank some blood and – and now she's gone.", Damon had to admit regretfully.

"What? I thought you were taking care of her! And now all this -", Isobel gestured to the havoc around them, "- happened because you weren't here to take care of her! What the hell were you thinking?", Isobel hissed at him.

"I was only gone for about an hour maybe, ok? Coincidentally I had to take care of some other problems! _Stefan_ for example! He's still walking around town somewhere, because _you_ weren't able to overpower him when he attacked us and he could escape!", Damon hissed back at her.

Isobel growled, turned around abruptly and strode out of the room on her killer heels.

"Where are you going?", Damon shouted after her.

"What do you think, coward? Going to find my daughter of course!", Isobel yelled annoyed and slammed the door shut.

"Wait!"

Damon hurried after her and found Isobel waiting in front of the door, rolling her eyes. "What?"

"Let me look for her."

"And why should I do that? You weren't even able to take care of her before, so why should you now?", Isobel snapped.

"She knows me better, she trusts me. You are a stranger for her. She hasn't seen you once in her whole life, and that was right before she was attacked by Stefan. Do you think that made a good impression?"

Isobel sighed, eying Damon angrily. "Alright, Mr Know-It-All. Go ahead.", she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes again.

Suddenly Damon threw her against the wall and snapped her neck. "Don't annoy me, bitch! I am stronger than you, you know that! So watch out …", Damon said menacingly and loosened his grip on her windpipe and Isobel took a shaky breath.

Damon let go of her and she slumped to the ground, massaging her painful windpipe.

It was late in the evening when Damon found her, rolled together on a thick branch of an ancient tree. Elena was fast asleep and didn't notice how he lifted her up in his arms and carried her home.


	17. A 15 The Resolution Happily Ever After

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated for so so long! God it seems like ages ago the last time I updated... but I've been really busy lately with school and stuff :S … yeah unfortunately school leaves me little time for my hobbies :(( but here it is finally! 15th and last chapter of story part A! But keep checking for updates on story part B! :PP I appreciate any advice and comments! Enjoy the reading! Hope you like it! :P Cheers!**

A. 15. The Resolution - Happily Ever After

Elena took the ring with the blue stone out of the ring box for the hundredth time, her fingers stroking the cool silver of it. Pictures of Stefan filled her mind, reminding her of all the nice moments the had had together. She lay back, feeling the pain in her neck and she had to think of how it had ended between her and Stefan.

Suddenly the door opened and a woman entered the room. Elena thought she recognized her, but she couldn't think of where she had seen her before. The woman smiled at her, closed the door and approached the bed. Her dark brown hair was pinned up so Elena could see the better her unnaturally white face.

"Elena.", the woman said, smiling awkwardly.

Elena eyed the woman, trying to remember where she knew her face from.

"I guess you don't know me anymore … but I'm Isobel. Isobel Fleming.", the woman told her.

And then Elena thought she remembered where she had seen her before. _Could it be?_ _That night in Matt's backyard? But still, _who _was it? What did she have to do with her?_

The woman went on. "I am your birth mother, Elena."

"What?", Elena asked irritated. "But …"

And then that question she had wanted to know for so much time came up.

"Why?", Elena asked with a sharp voice.

Isobel's face turned sad and she looked down.

"I was about your age, a little bit younger, when I met this boy. Charming, good looking, well, he was like the perfect boyfriend you know. But I should have known better." Her face hardened. "We were only together for about four weeks when I found out he had a few other girlfriends beside me." She paused and took a deep breath. "So I decided to confront him about his love affairs and he was like, well if it's a problem for you, then go away, I don't need you anymore. And I did. One week later I noticed I was pregnant. I knew I couldn't keep you, I was too young and my parents would put me out of the house if they knew I was pregnant. So I ran away and found a little town called Mystic Falls. I spent some months there and finally found a certain doctor Gilbert who was willing to perform the birth and keep you. That's how you have come to the Gilbert family, Elena."

Elena wasn't really sure what she should say.

"I'm sorry I wasn't the mother I should have been, Elena …"

"No, no, it's … ok. I mean, in fact you had no other choice I guess …", Elena said a bit confused.

"No, Elena, it's _not _ok.", Isobel said, shaking her head. "And I'm sorry I haven't been part of your life all this time …"

Isobel hesitated. "I won't ask you to see me as your mother, but … will you at least accept me as an aunt or good friend of the family?", she said hopefully.

"Well, ehm … you know, I don't even know you really …", Elena said.

Isobel's face turned sad. "Sure, I'm sorry. Maybe it's best if I'll go now."

Isobel hesitated, then turned around abruptly.

"Wait.", Elena said. "But I would like to get to know you better I guess …"

Isobel turned around again and a smile appeared on her face. "Really? I know I'm not that kind of person that …"

But Elena interrupted her. "Isobel. It's ok. I really do want to know you better!"

Isobel sighed. "Great! Well then, ehm, when are you out of hospital?"

"Well, this morning the nurse told me I still have to stay here for two days, so …"

Suddenly somebody entered the room. Jeremy wanted to say something to Elena, but then he saw the for him unknown person in the room.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know there was already someone else here …", he said a bit confused.

"Jeremy! It's no problem. Anyways, this is Isobel … Isobel Fleming. She is … she is my real mother.", Elena told him.

"Nice to meet you, Jeremy.", Isobel smiled at him.

"Likewise … I guess …", Jeremy said dubiously, looking at Elena.

"Isobel will join us at the barbeque we are going to have when I'm out of hospital.", Elena said triumphantly.

"Perfect! I have to go now. I'll see you all in two days then!", she said. "Elena, Jeremy.", she nodded at them and left the room.

"Elena!", Jeremy said and hugged her clumsily. "I was stupid. I – I shouldn't have behaved like that towards you. I'm sorry ok?", he said ruefully.

"Jer! No, you were right. _I _was stupid. I shouldn't have been hiding you so much and I shouldn't have lied to you – and – I shouldn't have let Damon erase your memories! I am _so_ sorry!"

"Ok, then we're both stupid!", Jeremy said smiling.

Elena laughed. "Yes we are!"

She lay back in the pillows. "Jeremy? Do you mind if I ask you to leave me alone for a bit now? I'm so tired. I guess I had too much visitors this morning!", she joked.

"No, sure. I understand, you are right, you should rest a bit.", Jeremy said, taking his jacket off the chair next to Elena's bed.

"Get well very soon, Elena. Should I come over again tomorrow?", he asked.

"Yeah, sure! That would be nice.", Elena smiled.

"Ok then, see you tomorrow!", Jeremy said and left the room.

Damon saw Jeremy leave Elena's room and waited until he disappeared around the corner of the long corridor. _Now it was his time. _He smiled at that thought and entered her room.

"Damon!", Elena said surprised. She had hoped he would come again this morning. "What are you doing here?"

"Elena … I'm here because I have to tell you something.", Damon answered, approaching the bed.

"And what would that something be?", Elena asked playfully.

Damon sat down on the bed and leaned towards Elena. "This …"

He moved his head towards Elena's, looking her deeply in the eyes. Ice blue in hazel brown. Then Elena felt his lips on hers and her heart skipped. She took his head in her hands and passionately kissed back …

**Want more? ^^ Comment if you want me to write more and I'll maybe write story A on! xP otherwise enjoy the other part of the story, part B! Next B chapter is definitely NOT the end! ;P**


	18. B 15 Is It Love Or Just A Curse?

**Ooh god I'm so sorry I didnt update for about 2 weeks! :/ its just no time (teacher's think holidays are there to learn and be busy for school … *rolls eyes*) and when I have time then there's no inspiration … :[ but I hope i'll be able to update the next chapter sooner than this one^^ enjoy! R&R please! :P**

B. 15. Is it love or just a curse?

Stefan Salvatore wasn't sure why he had done it. He wasn't even sure why he had done all this. He rubbed his eyes, trying to ignore the headache that was teasing him. _Wait. That he had had since Katherine had showed up. Katherine … Katherine … _Stefan tasted her name, let it roll over his tongue, but he didn't feel the usual admiration he had when Katherine had been alive and they had loved each other. _Something had changed … when Katherine had died, he felt different, but he had been in rage because of her death … he loved her, didn't he? But there was something … it felt like he was chained, tied to another … mind._

Elena was waked by the feeling of eyes burning on her back. She felt the presence of a strong mind and turned around to see who was watching her to find Damon leaning against the dresser, eying her mysteriously.

"Good morning … ", Damon said. "… my beautiful Princess!", he added smirking.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Good morning yourself."

_Oh God, no, he had that flirty look in his eyes …_

Damon was looking at her with a playful look on his face. "Mmm … did you know that you look very sexy right now?", he asked her audaciously.

With squinted eyes Elena stared angrily at him. "Did _you_ know that you're quite annoying right now?"

"Hm, let me think.", Damon said teasingly. "I don't think annoying is the right word for it, I think you can describe me best with the words charming, good looking, stylish, …", he winked at her.

Elena grinned her teeth. "Damon, stop it!"

"Ok.", Damon said.

_Did he look sad now? Was that disappointment she could see in his eyes? Damn._

Elena sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been like that … I'm just not that morning person and this whole vampire thing is killing me."

"Elena, you don't have to be sorry for it, ok? Sleepy heads are no problem for me.", he winked. "Come on, Elena, get out of your warm bed, sleepy head! It's time for your teaching!"

"What?", Elena asked annoyed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

But Damon didn't answer anymore and mysteriously smirking he said: "Meet me outside.", before he left the room.

Elena quickly took a shower and put on some jeans and a cute top, which only took her five minutes with her vampire speed. She grabbed her black leather jacket before leaving the room, walked down the stairs and left the Salvatore house.

_Stefan knew there was only one thing he could do right now. And he knew it wasn't going to be easy. Because he had done some bad things. Things he wouldn't have done before Katherine had come to Mystic Falls and had … what was it? - influenced him? It still wasn't very clear in Stefan's head, but now that the bitch was dead, he could think a bit clearer, without Katherine's mind messing with his._

When Elena entered the Salvatore garden, there was no sight of Damon. Annoyed she turned around to get back into the house, when suddenly he was standing right behind her.

"Damon! Do you always encounter people from behind?", Elena said, rolling her eyes.

He laughed playfully. "No, Elena … only you."

"Haha! Very funny, Damon. So what do you want from me?"

_About hundred ideas occurred to him on this question. He wanted her to love him, spend her live with him, … _

But instead he just said: "Teach you some things you'll need for your new life as a vampire."

Elena nodded. "Ok. Well, ehm … thanks, Damon for everything you've done for me lately. It means a lot to me.", she told Damon.

"You're welcome, Principessa.", he said smiling, falling back on his mother tongue. "Well, then let's get started!"

Elena took a deep breath. "Ok!"

"So … what do you want to begin with, Elena?", Damon asked her politely.

"Ehm … what are the opportunities?", Elena replied.

"Whatever. Say a number between one and six."

"What? Why?", Elena asked but saw he wouldn't answer and sighing she said: "Ok … three!"

"Great you just chose the opportunity 'flirting'!", Damon said.

"Haha! Damon, be serious!", Elena snapped.

"Ok.", Damon rolled his eyes. "You chose 'mind reading'."

**not a long chapter I know^^ but my writers block is KILLING ME! aargrrhh! -.- anyway, … I hope u like it ^^**

**til the next chapter xD**


	19. A 16 Surprise Surprise

A. 16. Surprise Surprise

Elena took the last top out of the ugly, gray hospital dresser and put it into her bag. The doctors had said the wound in her neck was healed enough and the discharge her from hospital.

Damon had said he would pick her up at 2 o'clock, but he hadn't showed up yet, although it was already ten minutes after two pm.

_Would something have happened to him? Bullshit. Damon could take care of himself very well. Of course nothing had happened to him._

Elena sighed and zipped her bag close.

_Well, then she would wait for him outside in the parking lot._

She turned around to leave the room, when suddenly she was standing at only a few inches from Damon.

"Damon! You scared me!", Elena said.

"Sorry …", he answered, looking at her with his ice blue eyes, which made Elena's mind go blurry. He brought his lips to hers.

"Oh, no … how can I make amends?", Damon asked innocently.

"Hmm … well this makes many things right …", Elena answered naughty and kissed him.

After a few minutes Damon withdrew. "Come on. We have to go, Elena. Your family is waiting for you at home and if I don't deliver you there before three o'clock, your aunt will start a search and will report me to the police.", Damon joked.

Elena laughed. "Aaaw, you're so sweet!"

They were about to fall into each other's arms again, when a nurse entered the room.

"What are you still doing here, girl? Did you like it so much here that you don't want to leave hospital?", she asked dryly.

"Well, with your care and treatments and specially your love, who would like to leave this hospital?", Damon said.

The face of the nurse turned purple. "Are you joking with me, boy?"

"But of course not, Miss. Why should I?", he replied innocently.

Elena couldn't hold her laughter anymore and Damon had to pull her with him out of the room to save them from the angry nurse.

When they arrived the parking lot, Elena asked: "By the way, why were you to late? Did something happen?"

"Come on, nothing ever happens to me! I happen to other people!", Damon laughed. "But there is something I have to tell you, Elena …", he continued.

"Damon, what is it?", she asked worried.

"Oh, it's only a small matter … nothing to worry about, ok? And please don't be angry or mean with me!", he sulked.

"Damon, what is going on?", Elena asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing. Come on I'll just show you.", Damon answered with a mysterious smile.

He took her hand and pulled her with him. Then Damon stopped.

"Close your eyes."

"Why? Damon, what have you done?", Elena laughed.

"Just wait, ok? Close your eyes and I'll show you.", he replied.

"Ok.", she sighed and closed her eyes.

Damon took her hand again and led her to one of the cars on the parking lot.

"Ok, don't yell at me or say you don't want it or say you don't want me to spend so much money on you or –"

"Damon!"

"Promise it!"

"Ok! I promise, Damon! Can I open my eyes now?", Elena laughed.

"Yes."

Slowly Elena opened her eyes and blinking against the bright sunlight she saw a car. And a smirking Damon holding the car keys in his hand.

She was standing in front of a brand new, red Mini Cooper S.

"Damon! You shouldn't have –", she began.

"Ssh! You promised …", he reminded her. "Just be happy and be glad about it, ok?"

"Oh my God, Damon …", she said speechless.

"I knew you weren't very handy with big cars, but I think you definitely should have a fast car, so I thought this would be perfect for you.", Damon said triumphantly.

"Damon! You are so sweet!", Elena shouted and embraced him.

"I know, I know!", he teased. "But you're not going to drive yet! So have the pleasure of letting me drive you home!", he winked.

"Haha! You're giving me a car but you won't let me drive it?"

"Well, it would be too much strain for you, which is not good for someone in your condition, you know.", he told her.

"Ok! I know you just want to drive in it once more, so go ahead!", she teased.

Damon only raised one eyebrow and put Elena's bag on the backseat of the Mini Cooper.

He walked to the right side of the small car, opened the door and waited until Elena had sat down. Then he superspeeded to the other side of the car and sat down behind the wheel.

Damon started the car and the engine roared. He hit the gas and smoothly he drove the car off the parking. He brought the car to its limits while driving down the street.

After a couple of minutes the reached the Gilbert house and Damon pulled the car onto the driveway.

"Here we are!", Damon said.

They left the Mini Cooper and walked around the house into the backyard, where the barbeque party would be held.

"Elena, honey!", Jenna shouted. "Look who are here!", she added to the rest of the people who were present.


	20. B 16 Tutorial From The Master Himself

**I'm am so so sorry I haven't updated for sooo long gals! :( but finally - here's a sign of life again! XD I did my best but somehow the inspiration for part B of my delena fanfic is getting harder and harder to find … :(( anyway, hope you like it! Please review! I love my reviewers, special thanks to my latest reviewers my2guys, Vampgirl144, ayna93, Sandy, nessa1998, MattSmith-TheRealDoctorWho, nikkikitten55, ailuj14, FutureActressKS and XxxmusicluverxxX! :DD**

**xo**

**PS: any ideas for the story are always welcome of course! :))**

B 16. Tutorial Of The Master Himself

"Ok.", Damon rolled his eyes. "You chose 'mind reading'."

"You ready?", Damon asked her.

"Hm hm … I think so.", Elena answered.

_She was feeling a bit cramped, because of not knowing what to expect, when she suddenly felt a very strong mind entering her head._

Elena gasped. "Damon! Is that … you?", she asked and looked at him.

_Incredible. How the hell was he doing this? _

Damon was looking as relaxed as always, acting as if it was no effort to enter someone's mind with so much strength.

_And probably it really wasn't any effort for him. At least not anymore. He surely had had enough time to practice this certain vampire power._

With only one slight movement of his head, Damon nodded in response and looked at her with curiosity.

_His mind was still swirling around in her head … when suddenly –_

The look on Damon's face changed.

_Triumph? Amusement?_

Elena wasn't really able to read the new expression on his face – which worried her because she had no idea what Damon just had found in her mind.

"Damon! Get out of my head!", she said.

Fortunately, Damon wasn't being childish and did what she had asked him to.

"Damon, what did you just see … in my head?", she asked, while thinking of all things he could have seen.

_But she just couldn't think of anything which would made Damon react this way. Or wait – there was something! Oh my God … no … please, don't let it be that!_

Elena groaned at that thought.

_She was going to hear this the rest of her life – which meant forever. And when she said forever, that really was for _all eternity_._

"You … are having dreams of me?", Damon asked highly amused.

"Damon!", Elena said, trying to prevent her cheeks from reddening too much.

He smirked. "I'll take that as a yes, Elena."

He approached her and suddenly they were face to face. Damon gently stroke her jawline, which made Elena shiver slightly.

_Gosh, he was so gorgeous! These eyes … _

**I know this wasnt much but I didnt want u to have to wait any longer :/ hope u like it anyways! :) R&R please!**


	21. A 17 Party?

A 17. Party?

"Elena, honey!", Jenna shouted. "Look who are here!", she added.

Elena hugged her aunt and looked around.

Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, Tyler, the neighbors – certainly Jenna only invited them because she didn't want to be rude –, she saw some other girls from school, her history teacher Alaric and a dark haired girl, who Elena didn't know.

_But where was Isobel? She had said she would come … well, she would probably turn up any moment._

But first Elena had to meet her friends. It seemed like ages since she had seen them the last time, although Bonnie and Caroline had visited her once in hospital.

"Elena!", Caroline cried. "Honey! We missed you!", Bonnie added. And they both hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry we haven't been visiting you more times in hospital, Elena.", Bonnie said. "But I just met this boy, he says he's a Warlock and he can teach me things about –" she looked around and lowered her voice. "– well you know what I mean – so I have been quite busy lately."

"Bonnie, but that's ok! I'm so happy there's anyone who can teach you, since your grandma …", Elena answered and left the rest of her sentence unspoken.

Bonnie's grandma had died already about half a year ago, but Bonnie was still not really over it, as her grams had been the only one who could teach her about being a witch and tell her how to handle it, since she had been a very powerful witch once herself.

"Oh, Elena …", Bonnie sighed. "You are too kind! To be honest … I wouldn't have liked it when you hadn't visited me when I was in hospital."

"Me neither!", Caroline added.

Elena giggled. "Well, I guess I have to admit you gals something …"

"What?", Bonnie and Caroline yelled.

"Ahem … well … me and … eh …", Elena said and unwillingly her eyes searched for Damon.

Caroline followed her gaze and laughed. "_You_ and _Damon_? Oh Elena …", she shake her head. And then, triumphantly, she added: "I knew it!"

"So what?", Elena asked, a bit defensive. "

"Nothing – it's ok. Caroline is with Tyler, by the way.", Bonnie giggled.

"Bonnie! That's not true! I – we … just .. ehm …", Caroline replied.

Elena laughed._ She had missed times like these. It felt like everything had gone back to normal. Bonnie and Caroline teasing and joking … _She sighed and left the two of them alone to go to look for Jeremy.

She found him at the barbeque, placing some sausages on the grill.

"Hey Jer!", she said.

"Hey sis!", he said and locked her in his arms. "I'm glad you're home again! Jenna was driving me crazy with her being over-worried … _Jeremy be careful – don't do this – don't do that – your sister already is in hospital, I don't want you there too _… blahblahblah …", he said and rolled his eyes.

"Aaaw, poor Jeremy …", Elena teased. "But she only meant it good, Jer – don't forget that – and we can be really thankful that she gave everything up to move here and take care of us …"

"Yeah, of course, I know … but I mean I can take care of myself, Elena, and she can't forbid me to go outside or hanging out somewhere …", Jeremy sighed.

"I know, but well, I guess she was just a bit stressed and she'll be cool again soon.", Elena replied. "Hey, Jer, eh … I just got to go and see someone …"

"Sure, Elena, it's your party, so you can do what you want!", he answered. "I won't bother you any longer!"

"Thanks.", Elena replied and started walking towards a woman with dark hair who was standing with her back to Elena.

She hesitated, but finally she tapped her on the shoulder and the woman turned around.

"Elena.", she said.

"Isobel!", Elena said. "Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for inviting me.", Isobel smiled. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing better, thanks.", she nodded. "Hey, do you want a drink or something?"

Isobel shook her head. "Thanks, but I already got one!", she said pointing at a champagne glass with a slice of strawberry hung over the rim standing on a high cocktail table beside her.

Suddenly Alaric encountered them. Staring at Isobel he whispered to Elena: "We got a problem, Elena, which is standing at your front porch right now."


	22. author's note

Important author's note:

Well, this was supposed to be the 18 chapter of story A, but as you can see, I got stuck with the story line and havent been writing on for a long time - I apologize for that – and unfortunately I have to tell you that I wont continue this story line for an uncertain time. I'll continue the other story line (B) though ;) and maybe when story B is over i'll go on with story A. So keep checking out my page!

xo


	23. B 17 Abducted

B 17. Abducted

_There she was. Beautiful as always. Her long dark brown hair was hanging in waves over her shoulders. But she was with _him_. And he was touching her. _Damon Salvatore_._

The kitsune grinned her teeth.

Elena felt released when she had a reason to escape from Damon's touch - her phone was ringing somewhere in the house.

She ran into the house, following the sound of her ringing phone. She didn't exactly know where she had left it – probably upstairs in the guest room – so she walked towards the staircases.

Damon had sat down on the low wall beside the driveway, bored and waiting for Elena to return, when suddenly he saw something small and red disappear between the bushes. Quickly he stood up and sped to the bushes, violently breaking off branches and trampling on leaves and grass. Damon pushed the last branches away and stood in front of a red-haired girl. The tips of her her were white and she had red eyes.

The phone stopped ringing and Elena wanted to turn around to go back outside, when suddenly someone placed his hand over her mouth. She struggled and was able to see something of her abductor. He was a young, had reddish brown hair with white tufts and dark red eyes.

_What the hell was this … person? It was most likely nothing good. It's red hair and eyes made it look evil. _Elena had to shiver at this thought.

He now started to drag her with him and even with greatest effort Elena wasn't able to pull the arm around her or the hand on her mouth a bit looser. She started to feel dizzy and weak, until everything around her became black.

"My name is Shini." she smirked, playing around with her long red-white hair.

_Damon was not sure what he should do. He had heard about kitsunes, creatures who could take shape of both a human and a fox. He had also heard that they were very powerful beings, not always with good intentions, most of the time not keeping their words._

When Elena woke up she was lying on a cold floor. The cold had gone into her bones and and her body ached when she sat up. She looked around, only to see a gray bricked wall all around her – no door – only _one_ wall was _not_ made of bricks. It was a huge glass wall.

Damon wasn't exactly sure what to do with the little creature standing opposite him, so he just watched her and waited. However, she didn't do anything but eying Damon from top to toe. A while they were just standing opposite each other, Damon trying to see through Shini, until something came to his mind.

_Where the hell was Elena by the way? She should have been back by now … well maybe it was better that she was still in the house so that she would not get into danger because of this kitsune girl … _

Suddenly Shini's expression changed. "Don't try to do anything stupid, ok?", she said with a sharp voice. "Otherwise your dear Elena will get hurt …", she added smirking.


End file.
